Yeah, I don't get it either.Tuesday, 26 August 2008
What Happened to Summer?
Here in the lovely UK, we are slowly seeing the end of summer. The days are getting rapidly shorter and the nights are getting downright cold. But this is also the time that the blackberry bushes that grow near our house ripen. Every year we have taken a trip down to pick the delicious berries and eat them all the way home.
Ava (and Circe not pictured although she followed us there and back) thoroughtly love picking the fruit - even though it results in numerous scratches from the bush.
Ness got really creative this year though. Blackberry pie from scratch!
We also decided to do some camping replete with smors (with fire) and tent! By the way, doesn't it look like Ava just HAS to have the camera's eye? Look closely - Eli IS there.
Here's a game for you. Where's Ava?
And so life does indeed go on. But I often wonder (as Eli tells me again that he "don't want to" and Ava is scaling anything climb-able) what ever happened to these two angels? (Picture is from June 2007.)
Ava (and Circe not pictured although she followed us there and back) thoroughtly love picking the fruit - even though it results in numerous scratches from the bush.
Ness got really creative this year though. Blackberry pie from scratch!
We also decided to do some camping replete with smors (with fire) and tent! By the way, doesn't it look like Ava just HAS to have the camera's eye? Look closely - Eli IS there.
Here's a game for you. Where's Ava?
And so life does indeed go on. But I often wonder (as Eli tells me again that he "don't want to" and Ava is scaling anything climb-able) what ever happened to these two angels? (Picture is from June 2007.)
Tuesday, 19 August 2008
Live from the Louvre
In my pre-kid days, I used to paint and draw all the time. I am hoping to get my kids interested...and see if they inherited my (lack of) talent in art...
My beautiful little Matisse is a work of art all by herself!
Not only did they create some lovely pictures, but my floor, walls, an old sheet, T-shirts, and I think even a little of the ceiling were "touched" by their creativity....
...yet it was so worth it!
* I would like to add as a side note..."washable paint" must mean that if you scrub for a half hour with your strongest cleaning product (you know...the one that isn't even legal in some countries!), you might turn the bright red into a dull pink....I have a very, um, pretty floor now!
My beautiful little Matisse is a work of art all by herself!
Not only did they create some lovely pictures, but my floor, walls, an old sheet, T-shirts, and I think even a little of the ceiling were "touched" by their creativity....
...yet it was so worth it!
* I would like to add as a side note..."washable paint" must mean that if you scrub for a half hour with your strongest cleaning product (you know...the one that isn't even legal in some countries!), you might turn the bright red into a dull pink....I have a very, um, pretty floor now!
Monday, 18 August 2008
Saturday, 16 August 2008
Warwick or Bust
When we arrived in England, we immediately looked for something fun for the kids to do. We narrowed the options to the Dinosaur Park and Warwick Castle. Nobody is regretting the decision made that day, but more than two years later we finally made it to Option #2.
One of these days I'll learn how to put pictures in order! Anyway, Ava is getting ready for Reception (Kindergarten to those who don't speak English-eese.) And that means UNIFORMS!
A great time was had by all. And even though the fake swords (which come with clanking sound effects) were for the kids, it was hard to tell who REALLY loved them the most.
The jousting field was too damp for the horses (from all the rain - I know it's a big shocker there) so they had a mock tournament between rival York and Lancaster champions.
As always there was a tall tower to climb (530 steps of it) that we just HAD to do. Ness gutted out the climb to please these 2 little stinkers. Despite all that was experienced, Ava said the best part of the day was climbing the tower!
Enough said.
One of these days I'll learn how to put pictures in order! Anyway, Ava is getting ready for Reception (Kindergarten to those who don't speak English-eese.) And that means UNIFORMS!
A great time was had by all. And even though the fake swords (which come with clanking sound effects) were for the kids, it was hard to tell who REALLY loved them the most.
The jousting field was too damp for the horses (from all the rain - I know it's a big shocker there) so they had a mock tournament between rival York and Lancaster champions.
As always there was a tall tower to climb (530 steps of it) that we just HAD to do. Ness gutted out the climb to please these 2 little stinkers. Despite all that was experienced, Ava said the best part of the day was climbing the tower!
Enough said.And so another traveling experience done and done well too. And the best part was the completely passed out condition of the kids for nearly the entire two hour drive home. I know Ness appreciated the quiet - doesn't happen much around here.
Thursday, 7 August 2008
Bath and Wales
Eric's parents have spent the last week here in England with "us". "Us" being the kids and Eric. I spent my vacation at "Casa Lakenheath Hospital"....I'm not bitter though...really... Anyway- Eric is taking his parents back to London right now so I thought I would try to post the vacation blog...even though I wasn't actually there...so....here goes! (Italics tell the story.)
Here is a picture of the kids at Tintern Abby...or Caerphilly castle....it was somewhere is Wales. I'm just pretty sure of it! Anyway, they are cute wherever they are, aren't they. (It's Tinturn - they had to climb EVERYTHING!!!!)
I remember that the only beach they visited was in Wales...so here is Grandma (who apparently climbed way out on the rocks...no wonder my kids are part mountain goat!) and the kids at some beach in southern wales.
Who cares where this was...isn't my little girl beautiful??? (To those who really want to know where this is ... look at the cliff in the background of the picture with Grandma and the kids on the rocks. Yes the cliff drops off to the ocean about three feet in front of where Ava sat looking so pretty.)
I guess they caught some fireworks at some point...um...yeah..no idea bout this one...
(We went to Tenby in Southern Wales and it just happened to be the one day of the year of their Summer Festival. There was a carnival on the ocean with food, music, and a children's magician show that Ava loved. It went on until 10:00 with the fireworks. A great day for the kids!)
Oh this is easy...Stonehenge. Look how happy my kids are...riding in a car for four hours to see a pile of rocks really brings out the smiles in them, huh? (Nothing to add - Ness got this one spot on.)
This was either the hotel or a random place Eric stopped to let Eli "pee the grass".... (This is actually a Best Western. The kids and I were given the Masters Quarters - almost half the entire top floor with a great view of the town. The kids couldn't care less. They were much more excited about the huge grassy hill outside the building.)
Nothing makes my kids look cuter than posing them next to an ugly emaciated pig....are pigs really supposed to have high cheekbones? I think they are in Bath...but that's only a guess. (Good guess.)
This is definitely Bath...they are probably discussing the rise and fall of the Roman Empire...don't you think? (I believe so. They finally decided that it did.)
Look closely....a dude in a pink tutu balancing on a stick...I can't even find the right words...
(This was a treat. Right outside the Roman Bath, this guy walked down the street in a tuxedo with a flaming torch. He just drew a line of chalk around this pub and began a hilarious and talented juggling act. His finale was to strip into this outfit and juggle 3 very sharp swords while on a unicycle. And then he collected probably 2-5 pounds from just about everybody watching. Not bad for 30 minutes work. And the kids were highly amused by him.)
Here is a picture of the kids at Tintern Abby...or Caerphilly castle....it was somewhere is Wales. I'm just pretty sure of it! Anyway, they are cute wherever they are, aren't they. (It's Tinturn - they had to climb EVERYTHING!!!!)
I remember that the only beach they visited was in Wales...so here is Grandma (who apparently climbed way out on the rocks...no wonder my kids are part mountain goat!) and the kids at some beach in southern wales.
Who cares where this was...isn't my little girl beautiful??? (To those who really want to know where this is ... look at the cliff in the background of the picture with Grandma and the kids on the rocks. Yes the cliff drops off to the ocean about three feet in front of where Ava sat looking so pretty.)
I guess they caught some fireworks at some point...um...yeah..no idea bout this one...(We went to Tenby in Southern Wales and it just happened to be the one day of the year of their Summer Festival. There was a carnival on the ocean with food, music, and a children's magician show that Ava loved. It went on until 10:00 with the fireworks. A great day for the kids!)
Oh this is easy...Stonehenge. Look how happy my kids are...riding in a car for four hours to see a pile of rocks really brings out the smiles in them, huh? (Nothing to add - Ness got this one spot on.)
This was either the hotel or a random place Eric stopped to let Eli "pee the grass".... (This is actually a Best Western. The kids and I were given the Masters Quarters - almost half the entire top floor with a great view of the town. The kids couldn't care less. They were much more excited about the huge grassy hill outside the building.)
Nothing makes my kids look cuter than posing them next to an ugly emaciated pig....are pigs really supposed to have high cheekbones? I think they are in Bath...but that's only a guess. (Good guess.)
This is definitely Bath...they are probably discussing the rise and fall of the Roman Empire...don't you think? (I believe so. They finally decided that it did.)
Look closely....a dude in a pink tutu balancing on a stick...I can't even find the right words...(This was a treat. Right outside the Roman Bath, this guy walked down the street in a tuxedo with a flaming torch. He just drew a line of chalk around this pub and began a hilarious and talented juggling act. His finale was to strip into this outfit and juggle 3 very sharp swords while on a unicycle. And then he collected probably 2-5 pounds from just about everybody watching. Not bad for 30 minutes work. And the kids were highly amused by him.)
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