Wednesday, December 23, 2015

long time, so long.......again

I have all sorts of posts written and ready to publish so that I can get caught up but they aren't in order so I am frantically trying, from this point on to write in order.

I made the decision a few months ago to take the girls to England for Christmas, I haven't been home for Christmas in 32 years and it was time. To say we were all a bit excited was an understatement. The girls and myself had lists of things we wanted to do whilst there and since it was a fleeting visit the lists looked like this:

Dawn
  1. Spend time with family
  2. Spend time with family
  3. see snow
  4. be really really cold
  5. spend time with family
Lily
  1. Spend time with family
  2. Go shopping with Nanny to that place
  3. eat Nanny's apple crumble
  4. Hang out with grandpa in his workshop
  5. family family family
  6. Go to Emberton park
  7. Go down the Rec
  8. See Snow
  9. Be cold
  10. Go to London and see the lights
  11. Ask Nanny to teach me to knit


Rosie
  1. See the chickens
  2. feed the chicken
  3. be with family a lot all the time
  4. Go to Emberton Park
  5. Go to the Rec
  6. Help Grandpa with Jobs
  7. sausages
  8. zipline


Easy peasy. We wanted it low key. The only difficult-ish request was from Lily with her London lights as she wanted to see them before Christmas and we didn't arrive until the 23rd. Problem solved, promise to sleep on the flight over and we will arrive in London and Auntie Sally will meet us at the Heathrow and we will hit the ground running. And that is what we did.  No one slept but we hit the ground running and it was wonderful and cold. very cold for us.

Not one photo is edited but if I take the time to do that it will be next Christmas before I post. And one more thing. I threw my big camera in my hand luggage and away we went. I grabbed it in London, took one photo and the battery died so all of these are from my iPhone.


That is our British Airways plane. Hah, for 20+ years I flew for free with American but now I pay to fly so I fly in style. What a difference!
Marble Arch
Corner of Oxford and Bond at approx 8.45 am
love
THe sun wasn't quite up and there was such a lovely glow to the cool crisp morning
pretty Pandora trees
infamous buses
The windows at Selfridges were fantastic. The Zodiac signs. Aquarius, Rosie
Not sure which one
If you have ever been to this shop you will no what I mean when I say this: I can smell that heavenly fresh scent from here.
Gemini
The British police are so friendly and were more than happy to pose with my little yankee kids for a photo. TO bad the ones over here are not the same ( in general )
Heading down, way down to the underground
Hyde Park
More of Hyde Park
Not the shop it once was. Actually quite grotty now but still a landmark and somewhere on Lily's list
These tiny Stella McCartney windows were super
Harrods
Actually sans coat, it got quite warm even for the popsicle child
When a certain child found out Auntie Sally, who also adores Paddington, was taking her to Paddington Station, she was so excited. All sorts of things now pertain to the story and you can go on a trail, great great fun.
Really, they still have these? You have to pay to do a wee? 
Priceless
Rosie had no idea this was happening and when we boarded a "real" train out of the station she was grinning from ear to ear. 
By lunchtime we were a but sleepy so we headed for the car and made our way to Nanny and Grandpas. It should have taken an hour but after 2 hours we were still sitting in a massive traffic jam. sigh. But who cares I was with my seester and my girls heading to my daddios house. What a fabulous day. The girls went zonko in the car nearly the whole way there so by the time we got to Olney they were raring to go again. My seester needs to rent herself out as a tour guide, she is  fabulous.

 So there you are we are on our way to getting caught up.

1 comment:

  1. I love it......Paddington bear, Harrods, Hyde Park, pay toilets......no words. My fav.....the girls posing with British "Bobbies"! Can't wait for more updates.

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