Nov 2013 - Remembrance Day

In America, Veterans Day is a day off school or work, a sale at the mall, and maybe a post on Facebook.  But in the UK it is called Remembrance Day, and it's a much larger affair, almost a month-long event.  Poppies are the symbol of remembrance, and they appear everywhere.  Donnie wanted to go see the display at Westminster Abbey, so he took the older kids and made a day out of it.

You just can't take too many pictures of Big Ben!

Statue of Churchill.  It has a small electrical charge to discourage pigeons, because Churchill was adamant that he would not be covered in bird poo!

Poppies at Westminster

The British Library - quick stop to see the Magna Carta!

At King's Cross Station

Nov 2013 - Parks Are Getting Colder!

A small park near our house.  Perfect for a cold picnic lunch.

Huge tire swing!

Nov 2013 - Home in South Kensington

Our new house is in South Kensington, just south of Hyde Park in central London.  We live in a mews house.  Mews are the houses behind the larger formal homes in front.   A hundred years ago they were the stables!  The horses would have had their stall on the ground floor, the stable hands an apartment on the floor above, and the very top was the hayloft.  In modern day London they are some of the larger homes you can find because you have all 3 floors.  We love the cobbled street, and the natural light we get (also very hard to find in the city).  Donnie is a little further from work, but we are central to everything else (food, shopping, parks, etc).

Our house is on the far right.  

This is my walk from my house down to the grocery (see the stores at the end of the alley).

A very old house nearby that houses unique and changing sculptures.

Natural History Museum - ice skating rink is up for the holidays.

Ice rink at night.  We skated one night, but it was almost $80 for our family of 6!

Nov 2013 - Science Museum with Daddy

We've started a new semi-tradition where Daddy takes the kids out for one day a week and gives Mom a half-day alone.  He used to want to stay home with them and let me go out, but I think I have finally convinced him that I hate shopping and love nothing more than just being in my own house alone!  For just a few hours ….!

A snack before the museum.  Family motto:  It's never too cold for ice cream!

At the Science Museum

Nov 2013 - Ezra's Birthday

Happy Birthday Ezra!  I took him up to Hyde Park to skateboard on his day, and later that week we took his trip to Hamley's.

Skateboarding with Royal Albert Hall in the background.

Bad picture, but coolest toy ever.  Remote control car that drives on the walls and ceiling!

Nov 2013 - Kensington Gardens

With the end of October and the time change the days now end very early.  The sun is setting at about 4:15 pm, and will be setting at 3:45 pm by the time we get to the winter solstice.  We try to get out most days and enjoy a little sunshine while it lasts!

Kensington Palace and Gardens

Serious Organized Crime.  As opposed to the Non-Serious kind.

Oct 2013 - Halloween and Goodbye to 117

The last week of October our Household Goods shipment finally arrived.  Only two months at sea...  We were scheduled to move into our new house on Oct 28, and movers were to arrive Oct 29.  The younger kids had a Halloween party scheduled at Whole Foods on the 28th, so I took them to the party and left Donnie and Abby to rent a van and move our personal belongings to the new place.  They moved 18 bags of luggage, plus our express shipment of school books, extra clothes, and uniforms. Donnie managed to drive the rented van on the correct side of the street, follow the traffic signs, and stop at MOST of the zebra crossings.  Or so I hear!

The movers couldn't bring their truck down our street due to size restrictions.  They hand-carried everything from one street over.  It took 2 days to move in 6000 lb.  

The kids were sad to leave 117, and even more sad that Halloween was not widely celebrated in the UK.  Donnie had to leave town on the 31st for a dinner on the coast; we were a mess of melancholy in our new house!  As evening came we heard some kids running down the street and I went out to say hello.   They mentioned that just 2 streets over was one of the few streets that did trick or treating!  We threw on costumes and headed out with a pillowcase to tote home candy. 

Donnie had a grand night on the HMS Victory.  And by the way, Happy 15th Anniversary to us!

117.  Too bad it's trash day!

Taking the bus to our new house.

Hotel next to 117.

Ebury Wine Bar at the end of our street. 

Our "paper friends" we made to play with!

And paper swords, crowns, and pickaxes.

Last day in 117.

Off to our party at Whole Foods.

Full size pumpkins decorated at Whole Foods.  We had to make a separate trip the next day back to Whole Foods to bring them home.

Dinner on the HMS Victory.