Sept 2013 - Sarah's Birthday

It's a little hard on the kids to have birthdays is a strange new place.  No friends to celebrate with, no birthday party.  To make it special, we decided that this year we would take each child (alone with mom and dad) on a birthday trip to Hamley's.  Hamley's is a 6-story toy store on Regent Street.  Over the top, but fun!

Looking up Regent Street.  The NFL game was in town this weekend.

Hamley's!

There is a Build a Bear inside the store.

Lego London

Meeting the Queen.

Happy Birthday Sarah!

Sept 2013 - Big Bus Tour

One day we decided to be regular tourists and take the bus tour of London.  Highly recommend!  After being here for about a month, it helped us get a better feel for the city.  And the tour guides were hilarious.  The next day we were able to use our tickets again to do a Harry Potter movie locations tour.

Waiting for the bus.

On the top deck, of course, rain or shine!

Victoria Memorial

At the Marble Arch

Apple Store!

Piccadilly Circus

Trafalgar Square. And a giant blue chicken.

Crossing Tower Bridge

Storm blowing in.

For the Harry Potter tour, we walked to certain locations used in the filming of the Deathly Hallows.

Shaftesbury Avenue

Ministry of Magic

Entrance to Diagon Alley in DH pt2

Sept 2013 - Parks

The parks may be the best part of London.  The Royal Parks have large immaculate gardens.  The city parks have large, challenging playgrounds.  And they all have toilets and cafes where adults can snag a coffee or tea while watching the little ones.  It's all very civilized.

Kedermister Park in Slough

St James's Park near Buckingham Palace

Primrose Hill

Jubilee Gardens at the London Eye

Battersea

 Regents Park

Holland Park

We're tired and hungry and want to go home!

Sept 2013 - The British Museum

The British Museum is phenomenal.  Mind blowing.  Full of objects to amaze and delight.  Grownups. But not so much kids!  We made 2 trips to the museum to try and break it up, but encountered melt-down on both occasions.  This museum is on the list of places for mom and dad to return to on date night!

The second trip we made was the last day of the Pompeii exhibit.  It was mobbed, literally shoulder to shoulder.  But it was still worth it to see the actual objects (and body casts of people and animals) from Pompeii.

The Rosetta Stone

Another day, another attempt

Dum Dum, you give me gum gum