They have left, Megan and Barnz and Bibs and Bobs and Trixie, after spending 6 weeks here in London with us. We all had a wonderful time, and my London now includes a whole new city devoted to entertaining children who are under 5 years old.
Here is a selection of photos of what we did this summer
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One day it is the Fourth of July Parade in Hingham Massachusetts |
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And the next day your car seats are strapped into an airplane |
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The Peggy Jay Centre on Hampstead Heath was the best place ever
for Under 5's to have fun |
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The wonderful Peggy Jay Centre pavement where vehicles of all sorts were available for testing |
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Nearby was a big kid playground that had a wading pool for the occasional days when the temperature was warm enough not to wear a sweater. Megan and Barnz were happy to miss the lengthy hot and humid spells in the US while here. Barnz and Bobs are wading on a day when we forgot swimsuits.
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Even the South Bank Summer Festival "Beach" offered sand digging for Bobs who never
passed up a sand pit or a puddle on offer. Bobs's first theatrical experience, Archaeology: A Worm's Story at the Polka Theatre for children included digging in sand for the second act. He was enthralled according to Megan who accompanied him. Bibs and I went to a very English panto-style revue based on Quentin Blake characters at the same time. They also saw the Polka Theatre's adaptation of Lauren Child's Charlie and Lola during the day they spent at Lollibop, the Festival for Under-8's at Regents Park. English children are immersed in stage productions from birth. |
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Until late July when the school term ended, Hampstead's Community Centre offered a drop-in morning playtime for toddlers with a weekly calendar of music, art, and cooking activities, 4 days a week for a minimum fee. Lots and lots of toys on hand and a morning snack too. |
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The Kentish Town Farm, celebrating its 40th Anniversary next year, is a 30 minute walk for us. |
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Bobs admiring a very big pig. The Kentish Town Farm, is located in railroad rights-of-way where several lines come together. For Bobs, the trip to the farm meant looking at animals while watching trains whizz past. Two for the price of one (except it's all free). |
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In our time at home we all fell in love with the BBC's children's show Octonauts, on the TV screen behind Bobs. The Octonaut team live in the underwater Octopod saving creatures in trouble and teaching us all about the ocean environment and the plants and animals who live there. |
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Bobs was inspired to draw a whale |
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with excellent results. Whatever there is to say against TV for children, it's hard to argue that the Aardman Animation Timmy Time cartoons, and Lauren Child's Charlie and Lola episodes aren't wonderful entertainment. And when you add in characters like Postman Pat and Chuggington the Train and Madeleine, it's hard to turn the set off. And then there is Baby TV, which seems to be French, or Swiss, or Belgian in production. There is nothing more soporific than 15 minutes in front of Baby TV. The cult book Go the F--- to Sleep might be unnecessary if everyone had access to Baby TV! |
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The joys of TV watching were interspersed with music |
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and cooking |
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On a day when Megan was in bed with a flu, Bob and I drove Bibs and Bobs to Bekonscot Model Village, a place I have always wanted to see, but it never seemed quite right without children along. The village is huge and recreates real and idealised sites of Britain, and a few fantastic ones including the fields of dinosaurs and hippos grazing on our green and pleasant pastures. |
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There were model trains traveling through the town to watch for |
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And a child size train to ride around the village.
A definite must see for every return trip by the children |
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And the most special day of all was Bib's 4th Birthday.
Oh Joy! The Birthday Bunny found her in London after all! |
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And was quite generous too |
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Wearing her favourite present, a dress hand-smocked by Megan
with mermaids of Megan's own design |
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We took off on a special outing to Kensington Gardens |
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for a ride on the Carousel |
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and a visit to the Princess Diana Playground |
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Followed by a butterfly birthday cake from Marks & Spencer at home |
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Two days later there were even more and even better cakes, with glitter and fairies and flowers,
made by Uncle Cato's mother who generously hosted a birthday party for Lavinia
for the extended Wilkes family, Barnz's mother's family, to attend. |
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And where there were even more presents including this beautiful alphabet poster designed by Uncle Andy Tuohy (and available for sale at the best art museums in southeast England. And any Scouser should look for his Liverpool Alphabet poster, and other goods, available at the Tate Liverpool in September.) |
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Great Grandma Janet was able to wish her first great-grandchild a Happy Birthday in person |
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And Trixie met Great-Grandma Janet, Aunt Libby and Uncle Andy,
and Uncle Bernard for the first time. |
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The following day, Bib's Birthday celebration continued with a special overnight trip to Paris. She is a huge fan of the Madeleine video series, and was hoping to attend Miss Clavell's school while in Paris, so she donned a dress similar to the one Madeleine wears and set off very early with Mommy and Daddy and Dolly. |
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Waiting for the Eurostar at St Pancras |
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One minute you are on the Eurostar writing in your Moleskin Diary |
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and 2 hours and 20 minutes later you are in a café in Paris |
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Now to find Madeleine and Miss Clavell's school |
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At Notre Dame? |
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At the Opera? |
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Along the Seine? |
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At the Louvre? |
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A message has arrived. The school is closed for the summer holiday,
and Miss Clavell has taken all the girls to New York. |
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Oh well a comfortable bed |
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and sharing Daddy's Strawberries in Port are consolations |
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A new day and time to look for the Eiffel Tower |
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Taking the boat to the Eiffel Tower on a very rainy day |
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And there it is! |
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Visiting the Eiffel Tower: a dream come true |
2 comments:
thank-you for this marvelous tale of three children, their parents and grands. I'm transported by the photos and your lovely text and the amazing adventures of Megan and Barnaby's kids. Is there a perfect childhood?
Looks like it from here!
Sue
Love these photos! Wish we could have been there...
Grandparents from across the pond...
Mermaid dress is beautiful!!
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