Breakfast our first morning in London was "scottish" porridge and bananas, and trying desperately to teach these children to sit down on these rather child-unfriendly chairs by this rather child-unfriendly table, and since then, we have managed it.
This is the view of the dining area reflected through our most high-quality art print. I cut off the edges, so you can't see the very high-class no-smoking sign. Someone definitely disregarded that same sign.
music stand, and the kids are asleep. What to do? Creative practice time! Stand on a glass table with your music on the pillarlamp.
Comment from Amanda: Interesting...
Or ... you can use a half tomato to prop up your music, then you can stand on the floor.
In the evenings we like to go for walks as a family. Usually we have to take the tube first, like when we went to Hyde Park... This is Brian looking out by the gardens at Buckingham palace. Mostly still closed after the olympics, but still spacious and beautiful, just a short tube-ride away.
Theo was also up against that fence leaning out. And what are these three boys looking at, if it's not a palace?
Amanda commented: Great one! |
Maybe a Coot? www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Coot/id# similar
comment from Irma:
you're totally right! wow! how did you know??
Amanda commented: Awww. I know he is really upset, but I also kinda love this picture! Way to capture the tragedy!
Sometimes we also go exploring on our own during the day. I wasn't the only one to take their picture here, by St. Paul's Cathedral. Some other lady squeaked a little bit and asked if she could please take their picture holding hands, and they let her, and then somebody else took a picture of them, because they saw her taking a picture.
Sometimes we also go exploring on our own during the day. I wasn't the only one to take their picture here, by St. Paul's Cathedral. Some other lady squeaked a little bit and asked if she could please take their picture holding hands, and they let her, and then somebody else took a picture of them, because they saw her taking a picture.
This is the view of our outside if I lean out and look left. If you look straight out our window, you can see a wall.
London bridge thankfully didn't fall while we were on it. It was our first trip, as Brian came home for lunch. About 300m from our flat (can't you tell we're already becoming Brits) and we're already at The Tower, and London Bridge.
Comment from Amanda: Nice one!
While we can't say for sure what they were really *looking* at, or fascinated by, we do know that what they saw was the soon-to-be highest tower in London, still under construction. "The Shard"
But what I saw was more blurry.... soooo many people all moving all the time!
I like it just the way it is. While I was busy taking this shot, which took so long to get "just right..." Brian was watching the kids
Comment from Amanda: Oooo! I really like this picture! And I also really like that the only real colors are bright blue and red! Everything else is kind of gray-ish... except maybe Henry's pants... which are also pretty excellent :)
Near this impressive bridge and the Tower of London, there is a playground. It's meant for children a bit older than ours, but Theo had plenty of fun spinning the err... spinny-thing ... He even spun some kids who were in their early t(w)eens.
He's good at spinning, but if I ask him to pose for a picture ...
This is what we get!
Comment from Amanda: Ha! Love the face Theo!
That tower playground is the only one for miles, literally. London's so-called "green space" we discover is not green. I walked alone, no stroller over a mile holding these children's hand, promising a park. And here it is, in all its glory, a tube-station under construction, and what you see is the amount of green space you get.
"Are we at the park yet?"
Nope, but Mama likes to try to take pictures of all three of us, with our eyes open, and sometimes it works.
[Actually, the sad part was, this was the park. All of it. I didn't have the heart to tell them.]
Back at home, I didn't pack a
They were all looking at Weird Birds!
With the strangest feet I've ever seen, and all with the same white marking on their head. There were also ducks and geese and swans, but what on Earth are these things? Can they even swim? We didn't see one fly.
comment from Alex:
We had to hang out on ALL the benches. We wouldn't want any of them to feel left out. This particular bench isn't big enough for the both of them.
Railings are fun! They don't keep us out!
The next day back at Tower hill park......
Swings are fun! They don't keep us in!
This view makes it look like we are playing on the grounds of the tower, but really we are across the street. It's that same lovely playground.
To get them to sit still, I gave them what anyone near the Tower of London would give their kids. Dry bread and water. They love the stuff. I wanted CITY OF LONDON over their heads, because otherwise I might forget where this shot was taken.
Another tourist shot. The tower... Cardinal directions are not allowed in Brian and my conversations, but they look nice in pictures....
Henry hurts himself all the time, I don't even know what he did this time, maybe bit himself by accident. I just thought there was so much emotion here, I would show you what a heartless mother I am.
Poppies.... Poppies will make them sleep.
What is true is that these might be the only children in this part of London. It feels like that moment in Chitty-Chitty Bang Bang where the lady comes out into the streets where all the children are locked up in the basement somewhere, and says "Haven't you noticed? There aren't any children!"
When they sleep, we have strange late-night "dinners" like this oh so healthy white wine with bizarre flavored potato chips. Looks good, right Alison? ;)
Sometimes we eat healthier dinners though, like the time we got fresh golden beets and endives from the market:
More exploring. This is part of a green footbridge over a highway and train crossing. It was a lovely evening and a lovely sunset, but then the park got full of sketchy people, so we ran away.
Near here, in the park, at sunset, the clouds seemed like a continuation of the stairs. Especially neat, as the stairs didn't actually seem to go anywhere.
Henry always loves the tube. This is his favorite game. He is really hanging there, with his own muscles. Brian is just spotting him. We're pretty sure he could hold on for hours, but we haven't tested him on a trip that long yet.
Theo and the ridey-hobby-horse-swing-thing in one of the biggest parks ever. It even came with a private just-for-parents-of-children Austrian cafe. And little playgrounds for each imaginable age-group. Hey America, are you listening? An Austrian mega park needs building in downtown Wilmington.
It's safer with Irma on the swing with Henry. He uses all toys in the most unsafe way he can imagine - and he has a very good imagination. Theo on the other hand, was too scared to use this even in the way it was intended.
All that playing on the swings tired us out!
A London Panorama... Took this from Potters field. You can just barely catch a glimpse of Henry who walked into the frame just after I had taken about 8 pictures. Oops. Oh well, he's cute. We live just on the other side of the river from here (but not in the tower of london - we're not slated for beheading...)
Here's another one at sunset:
We also climbed all 311 steps to the top of a monolith, the "Monument". The gate-keeper didn't want to let us up, because they allow one child under 5 free with adult ticket. I guess not many people try to climb it with 2 children under 3. I promised them if I didn't think my kids could make it that we would come back down.
We made it! And the first thing they wanted was something to eat! What a surprise!
We found this park on the way home. Not much for children to do, this seemed to be an upscale park for posh cosmopolitan lunch eaters, but we were there so early in the morning nobody seemed to mind. We also bumped into our temporary upstairs neighbor, who is french, and also has a child. He was very nice, and when I asked him if my kids were too loud at night, he smiled very broadly and said "Oh yes, very great!" I don't know what he thought I asked.
