Wrapping up

School ended on Friday the 20th of July (a record late for us).  Preceding that came the wrapping up of classes.  Gracie really enjoyed her ballet class.  It was lovely to watch her and hear the live piano music.

 Miss Sophie teaching "good" toes and "naughty" toes

 She was among the tallest in her class

 I adore little ballet shoes

 I felt like I was in NYC in there with the 42nd street poster

Our local school's fair she went to with Dad while we were in Paris

 Last day at See Saw Preschool with her Key worker

Looking so big with her "plaited" hair

A Unique Trip

T-man and I had quite an exhausting day in London one weekend.  After returning we were discussing our next trip to Paris and trying to figure out how we could leave the kids behind.  He suggested that since he had been before that I go with Letty, it took me a whole two minutes to agree.  We figured Gracie would get tired on the trip and Lyssy wouldn't care but Letty has been asking since we got here when we would see the Eiffel Tower.  So off we went for a weekend trip.  It was so fun and seemed very easy with just her.  It happened to be the weekend after her birthday but I told her not to expect such things in the future it just happens that we live only a couple of hours away from a very famous place.   We seemed to hit all of the major first time to Paris locations between where I had planned to go and the bus tour.  Because of the nature of our trip the pics are quite a  Letty fest.

 Notre Dame

 Notre Dame

 Opposite Musee d' Orsay after our trip inside

 She made me cover her eyes until we reached the tower so she could be surprised, so funny.

 Yum yum macaroons.  I should have taken more pictures of our eats but I was on trip planner mode.

 We did lots of origami on the train.  She received paper and a book for her birthday.

 Being the "Mona Lisa"

 The Louvre

 On the way up to Sacre-Coeur

Voici Paris 

 Double decker carousel 

 Our hotel at the end.  We came out of the subway to find Moulin Rouge, ooops I  thought it was a couple of stops down the metro.  Oh well, it wasn't a bad spot just a weird night crowd which we avoided

The lovely bakery that provided our breakfast and after dinner treats.

100 Aker Wood

A couple weekends ago we went to the "hundred-acre wood" which is actually the 500 acre wood in Ashdown forest.  I didn't really know that this place existed beyond the Winnie-the-Pooh books. A.A Milne had a country home on the edge of this forest where Christopher Robin would play and so set the scene for his stories.    It was a fun, cheap day and we beat the rain.  Prior to this weekend we were trying to decide what to do with the kids since it was the end of Letty's term break. After brain storming we decided that they hadn't spend enough time in nature.  Plus we didn't want to spend money on something they wouldn't really appreciate. We wanted them to enjoy the beauty of our world so off we went on a little adventure.

 "The Enchanted Place" memorial stone behind

 Roo's Sandy Pit

 a little shop where you could get "pooh" things and a map of the sites

 They could have stayed here all day playing pooh sticks on Poohsticks Bridge.

 Piglets house, obviously someone just created that but it was cute.

 beautiful England

picnicking in the car as it was raining by this point.  

Little things here and there

T's Aunt and Uncle had a lay over in London for about eight hours on their way to S. Africa and we were delighted to go up and meet them for the day.  The girls loved hanging on them and hitching rides and we had fun catching up.

 Tower Bridge

 Tower of London

Letty begged me to drop her off and let her walk home after returning from a shopping trip.  I needed to park the car so I told her to go down to the end of the road and walk back without me.  They thought they were pretty hot stuff "being on their own."

Our neighbor gave us tickets to the foodies festival here in Brighton.  T is holding a pig roast sandwich and a wildebeest burger...yes that's right, wildebeest. This exotic burger stand also had ostrich, buffalo, bison, zebra and some others I can't remember.  I must say I'm not a big fan of wildebeest, glad I'm not a lion.

To save ourselves some money at the festival we promised face paint and home.  Tim delighted the girls with a bat mask and a flower garland.

 pooped out after an outing, I thought they looked so cute.

 Gracie was reading to little miss, they both were having a lot of fun.

This little monster loves to stick her hands up the fireplace (we don't use it).  We usually keep the door closed but her sisters have trouble remembering that or else you get this.  She proceeded to do it again later that day, little stinker.

Seeing the sites

In May we were able to have T's sister J come.  She and her friend were touring a bit of Europe before they reached us.  We met up with them in London and we had the weekend together.  On Monday they headed off to Isle of Man and Ireland where sister K-Rae met up with them and then they joined us back here for another weekend and a couple of days. It was great to have them! Here are some of the things we did. 

Good 'ole Big Ben.  We found out the name Big Ben is actually for the bell inside but has come to be known for the entire tower.

Looking at Westminster Abbey

 J and J

Still outside Westminster

Trafalgar Square, Letty has a book with a Lion from Nelson's column in it so we had to get a pic in front of one.

Nelson's Column (Trafalgar Square)

Trying to get A to sleep in the British Museum.  If Letty were left to her own I think she could outlast most of us in Museums.

After a long day, a trip to Hamley's toy store.  Playing in the phone booth made of Legos.  

Meeting the Queen

On Sunday we once again enjoyed a favorite spot in Kipling Gardens.  These tall wild flowers is how I picture the English Country.

Beachy Head with Light house.  Don't be deceived, these cliffs were scary, especially since it was so windy up there it felt like you could be blown right off the edge.  It did provide a beautiful view though.

Oxford

The much anticipated to Minster Lovell.  T has been pointing this out on the map since we got here  so we finally made it.  It is a darling town in the Cotswolds.  Are we related?  No clue- but we had to check it out anyway.

 Thatched roof in such a picturesque English town

"Lovell Cottage"  I wouldn't mind having this as a summer home.

 Ruins of the once Lovell estate.  At least 7 generations of Lovell Lords lived here during the 13th and 14th centuries.  The last Lovell fought with Richard III and when the King was defeated, the he went into hiding in a secret chamber of his home.  Unfortunately his loyal servant who knew his whereabouts was tortured to death and it was over half a century later when the Lord's remains were discovered sitting at a table in the secret chamber.

 A's (we"ve taken to calling her nixie meaning water sprite, have you seen this girl around water?)anyways, her aunties taught her that she too has been endowed with a long "Lovell" tongue

Brighton Beach

Special bedtime.

We had a great time.  The girls devour family when they come.  We all love it!  I am not sure how many notes went between J's friend and Letty but they had a great time folding them into envelopes which Pika taught Letty how to do.  Oh good times!