Nice in June

In June we took a trip to Paris and Nice. Had a great time exploring France, if only for a few days.



This photo was one Fiona took after dinner on the pebble beach. Consensus favorite photo from the trip.




Photo of the beaches of Nice and the amazing azure blue. A guide on a boat cruise we took credits the color of the water to the mountain springs in the alps that run down into the sea here. That same spring water in your Evian bottle.





Riding the TGV from Paris to Nice was clearly one of the major highlights for William. It does not feel like it goes as fast as it does, but once in a while you see how cars on motorways just can't keep up and you realize just how fast these trains go!

Another 'highlight' was how we almost missed the train to Nice because the hotel front desk messed up getting a taxi for us in time to get to the train station! The children will probably remember running for the train with the luggage about as well as seeing the Eiffel Tower.



The iconic Hotel Negresco - it really is a beautiful place.







A shot of the rocks between the beach in Nice and the harbor.




This is an interesting metal sculpture in front of the Casino in Monte Carlo. It looks like a giant sphere, but it's not. You can see the casino in the refection (and me too -- if you look close enough!)

London: The Globe

On the Sunday of the Spring Bank Holiday (Memorial Day Weekend for the Americans) we headed into London to tour Shakespeare's Globe Theater.


Lilian's E-1 class at Lake Country School read and performed The Tempest this year. So Patricia suggested (and we agreed) that it would be fun for Lilian to take a tour of the Globe to report back.

And what fun it was! It is an amazing structure. All the wooden beams were built as it would have been -- interlocking wooden beams held together with pegs. Quite amazing really. There are a few modern touches -- lights that shine on the audience for nighttime performances. A sprinkler system on the thatch roof so this Globe doesn't burn down. But really quite true to the original.

Point To Point Race

Easter Egg Hunt

Bockets Farm

Last Sunday we took the kids to Bockets Farm, a working family farm (sounds like they raise families, doesn't it?) in Surrey near Leatherhead. In springtime they have lots of baby animals -- or very pregnant animals -- for the children to see. I think I'm glad we were not 'lucky' enough to see any animals born, but Fiona was a bit disappointed.

They also have a variety of indoor and outdoor play areas for children -- so it is fun for the whole family.

Lilian is feeding (trust me, that is her hand) a one day old lamb here. This lamb kept walking up onto it's mother's back. Funny.



Fiona holds William up for a better view of the barn, while Lilian feeds a goat. It's a BIG barn!





Lilian feeds another baby lamb with its mother watching. That mama sheep did not like when Lilian tried to touch the lamb. Angry sheep? Approach with caution!

Bockets has a big indoor slide for the kids. It's fun, rain or shine!





And as you can see the slide is fun for the whole family. Is anyone having more fun that Fiona?




William loves the pedal tractors, especially now that he can pedal fast!







There are big slides outdoors too in the 'Monkey House'.






Lilian slides down the biggest of the outdoor slides!




Bockets has a Giant Pillow too. It's basically like a huge bouncing platform -- limit 25 children at a time. Lilian and William had fun bouncing on it for a long time!










Lilian got some serious air when she jumped on the giant pillow.




Lilian just enjoyed playing outside and being Lilian at Bockets.





Getting ready to watch the Pig Race at Bockets. Yes, real live pig racing. Remember, it is an exhibition, not a competition, please no wagering.



We had a lovely (but tiring!) afternoon at Bockets. The clouds were quite interesting on the farm at times. But it didn't rain on us!

Visit to Angela's

On Mother's Day (which in England was Sunday the 22nd of March) we visited Fiona's godmother Angela Findlay. Angela made us a very nice Sunday lunch and then we spent the afternoon enjoying a beautiful spring day in her garden.

Angela lives in a lovely thatched roof cottage. You just don't see that in America!

BMW 1 Series

We did get Fiona her own car a while back. Now she and the kids don't have to drive me to and from work every day.

And that is good for all of us!

It's a 2007 BMW 120d M Sport. Fiona set out to get a small car. She wanted a Mini! While I was in Minnesota in February Fiona test drove a Mini (a Cooper S -- the jazzy turbo) which was fun to drive, but just too small.

The 1 Series 5 door really fits the bill. Small enough for English roads (and parking spaces!), but space for four and some room for 'stuff' in the hatch.



And this one is pretty fun to drive. The M Sport does hug the road. It's fun!

Spring Flowers

Just a few photos from my wandering around in Angela's garden on Mother's Day.

Enjoy the signs of springtime in England.

Happy 7th Birthday Lilian!

Saturday was Lilian's 7th Birthday!

And here is the Birthday Girl!

After starting off her morning with a round of presents (very similar to William's kick-off) Ms. Lilian enjoyed a special breakfast of fresh baked muffins and bacon. It was the last package of 'the favorite' muffins from America. :(
















Six girls from Lilian's class came over to our house for her birthday party at 2:00pm. Seven girls for Lilian's seventh birthday!

The girls decorated boxes for an Easter egg hunt. The weather cooperated (mostly) so Fiona could hide eggs in our back garden and the girls could hunt them.

The egg hunt was Lilian's creation (OK, Fiona had quite a bit of influence on the plan) -- eggs with points, eggs with chocolates and eggs with little marble eggs inside. The girl with the most points got first pick of the Polly Pockets that were for the prize bags (naturally the girls got to keep the eggs, chocolates and marbles too).

Fiona made Lilian a Barbie Birthday cake! Her dress is a white cake with pink buttercream frosting (with raspberries mixed in). It was pretty yummy!


And Lilian helped with the sprinkles and decorating Barbie's dress!




The girls also jumped on the trampoline, made sidewalk chalk drawings, had a 'guess who' quiz on each other and played Twister! The girls really seemed to have a fun afternoon.

The six girls that were guests at the party :

Sarah & Jordan

Oliva M & Annefien

Katherine & Oliva L

William managed to entertain himself with seven girls getting a bit silly during a birthday party. He was amazingly good. (At least as far as we know.) Of course he was (literally) sitting on his hands some of the time, but it was what he wanted to do.

What does the weather 'mostly' cooperated mean? Well it means not raining long enough to wipe off the trampoline and hide the eggs and then didn't rain until after the girls were ready to go back inside. But it hailed just after the girls went home. The sun was shining and little hailstones were falling at the same time. It makes life interesting!