Our Adventure

We're home, exhausted but home, packed full of memories of our adventures. Memories of smiles and discoveries, of objects seen to go with lessons learnt and stories heard. Of famous artists found for the first time and explosions in a lab. Of hotels and beds squashed together, of train travel over ground and underground. Such beautiful sweet memories I will hold forever, some of them captured and shared.

see original here on Pintrest

So this is our London.

 Day One - Off we go.

Our trip begins! Why are train stations always so cold?

And a two hour journey needs some entertainment!

When I visit London I can't stop looking around and noticing things that make me smile!

I love travelling on the tube. I also discovered that I love the look of wonder on my girls faces and the inquisitory discussions we had about trains travelling underground.

 

However we didn't go to London for the transport links. First stop...The British Museum.

The look of wonder and amazement and voracity with which Munchkin 1 went from one exhibit to the next. Devouring every Egyptian artifact and explaining their significance to me. Canopic jars are seriously disgusting might I add!

The next stop....for Mummy!

A flying visit, yes. But still I stood in awe at the Kings Library. This picture does not do the sheer scale and number of books justice!!

Day 2 - Open top bus tour!

I can't believe how much the girls enjoyed this. Even ice cold toes and noses didn't deter them for quite some time!

 Tower Bridge

 Big Ben, with the London Eye in the background

Reconstruction of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.

St Paul's Cathedral

A whistle stop tour of the Poetry and Dreams exhibition in the Tate Modern. Introducing Munchkin 1 to the likes of Picasso (who's work is ugly, by the way - her words not mine!)

Then on to Trafalgar Square and a visit to the National Gallery. We got involved in a feather and wing art installation. Listened to a story teller use the art work in the gallery to tell a story (really great) and then introduced Munchkin 1 to the likes of Monet (who she loved - that's mi girl!) Cezanne and Van Gough.

Day Three - Time to go home, nearly!

A trip to the Science Museum - Daddy's day ;-)

A demonstration of how to make a rocket fly into space and a quick experiment to see if the Munchkins could power electrical equipment with pedal power. I won't disconnect from the grid just yet though!

 

That left just enough time for a quick stop at Harrods....Oh how the other half lives!!

However I did discover some gorgeous lifts!

Oh and some cute friends too!

That was a packed couple of days, time to go home.....we're beat!

What special memories have you made this week?

I will leave you with this, Within Temptation. Nothing at all to do with London or the sweet memories made. It is however totally beautiful and the final gorgeous discovery of this break. Back to work tomorrow!

PS - In the last few days I have been bestowed 2 blog awards. One from the fabulously talented and witty blogess Katie at Nested and the other from my dear friend; the obnoxiously talented photographer and blogger Lee Johnson. I promise I will graciously accept these awards and compose appropriately lengthy speeches to said acceptances in due course! Today I think I have overloaded you lovely readers enough.....Stay tuned ;-)

Family Choice Tuesday Tunes

So in honor of the family trip to our nation's capital I have opened up this weeks Tuesday post to the clan.

Here are our songs that give you a little snippet of our trip.

The Husband's choice, not particularly original but it had to be included!

Munchkin Number 1's choice. British Museum for a little Egyptian spotting!

Munchkin Number 2 didn't choose this, but she wants to see where the Queen lives. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth I have taken the opportunity to include a slice of musical genius here!

Finally my choice, because we are on holiday after all. Ok so I have been busted for crow-barring in another of my favourite bands and I don't care (PS a little sweary at the beginning for those of a sensitive disposition!)

So the soundtrack to our break away. Hope you are having a good week, stay tuned on Thursday for the piccies ;-)

My weekend in song.

I think I am just going to call Tuesday's 'Tuesday Tunes' given that I never feel particularly jokey or cheery on a Tuesday. Bah!

So today you get the soundtrack to my weekend, or at least the one that has been floating around in the mush of my mind!!

The weekend didn't start well!!

I kind of retreated into music for a while and found this acoustic version of a 30 Seconds to Mars song I love.

But is is funny how a well placed text or message from a friend can help so much and this song made me think of that friend...I only hope she knows how awesome she is and that I help her in some small way too!

So smiling we went off into the woods for a wander and had an amazing day.

So here is hoping that wasn't the end of the world I saw coming and just a little storm. Something a little chilly and rocky at the time but weathered all the same.

What song best describes you weekend or day?

Motivation: Day 24 Love

We have all felt it, that swell in your heart, the lump in your throat, the tell  tale signs of Love. Sometimes I think I love too much, but that is a different and much longer post full of psychoanalysis that I am just not up for at this hour!

I remembered today how when I was young people got teased for 'luuurving' someone. A little older and the all consuming love of each high school crush, graffitied across our books and bags as a badge of honour.

It is not until later in life that we develop an appreciation that Love comes in may different forms. Parental love; proud and protective.
Romantic love; consuming and powerful.
Sibling love; being there no matter what happens.
These forms of love are not chosen, but the love shared between friends is a different beast all together. It is not as all consuming as that for a lover, nor as unbreakable as the love we have for our family, yet sometimes just sometimes it is perfect and fulfilling.

Today I spotted this picture floating around on Facebook and had to share it with you all, it describes love for me perfectly; be it between lover, a parent and child or between two friends.

Love to all my blogging friends, you have all shown time and again that you are willing to give up your time and energy to help out those in this little corner of the virtual world to ease the pain of another or help motivate someone to a goal. The fact that you can do this for people you haven't meant is an inspiration to me. Today my motivation and my smile are thanks to my inspiration; Deb over at Kicking Corners. A wonderful person, who I am privileged to call friend, even though we have never met. Thank you!

 

 

Nearly Happy

Hello there, yes I am alive and I have not been abducted by aliens! It is well over a month since I last posted on a regular basis and this I am not happy about. Let me explain....

You all know that at the beginning of June I started my new job in a library. In short it is amazing, I thought maybe after a few weeks the novelty would wear off but I am still loving every minute.

I Love My Job
A 45 minute drive to work
I Love that I get to sing all the way
Story times and rhyme times too
I Love to see kids get involved
Crafty things to make and glitter everywhere
I Love that I get to act like a kid
The lovely people I have met and work with
I Love the warm welcome I have had
The understanding and encouraging boss
I Love that we are so similar
A 45 minute drive home
I Love the road that in places is cocooned by green trees
I Love my job!

Even during some recent flash floods, that made the drive home very interesting, the drive still doesn't bother me. Even when we have had unexpected staff shortages and the library has been so busy that the shelves looked to have been ransacked by ram raiders, I didn't get stressed we just dealt with things as they came along.

Today I was in charge of the summer reading challenge craft activities and got to help some lovely kids make masks in all shapes and sizes. It was like a glitter explosion, we had lions, dogs, butterflies, spiderman, batman and some amazing masquerade masks. Below is a picture of the mask a lovely little girl and her mum made for me after I had admired hers, with it's sparkly feathers and jewels it was a work of art. I love mine with pretty curled leaves and metallic markings (which don't show up well on the photo) it is very sophisticated and worthy of any masquerade ball, I just wish I had one to go to. I am tired now and still covered in glitter (it seriously gets every where doesn't it!) but I had an amazing afternoon.

Any way back to my explanation! My childhood had it's issues, my teenage years...yes well we all know those, my twenties passed by in a blur, it is only now in my thirties tat I finally feel in control of my life. My beautiful family, my amazing job, my wonderful boss, the fantastic friends I have now (not all of you I have even met in person) all add up to one nearly happy me. What is missing you ask? I know it looks like I have it all and really ought to be grateful, however in all this happiness I have let my writing and reading slip. I am annoyed with myself and I only have me to blame for this lack of motivation. I could reel off a raft of excuses like; 'it's been hard getting used to this new routine' 'my new job is physically and mentally tireing' blah blah blah! Tonight I made a promise to myself to finish catching up on the blogs I love to read and also to set myself a new writing schedule and stick to it! Maybe then I can just be happy, instead of nearly there...or will I?

Are humans destined to make sure that they are never totally happy? Does there have to always be a but?

How is everyone in our corner of the bloggy world? I have missed you all loads xxx

Without you

Yesterday I wrote a a little about my childhood and my Father's battle with cancer. Here is the poem inspired by my feelings:

What would I be if you were still here

If I never had to shed a tear

Many more nights of playing with my hair

Or whispering goodnight as we climb the stair

How many more lives would you have saved

Instead you had to endure and be brave

We lost you little by little for a while

We grew to be strong and survive in style

Your passing led me to the right place

to see my husbands beautiful face

Two gorgeous girls now of my own

I hope to never leave them alone

Our memories I still hold dear

Though you are no longer near

We are happy now in all we do

Though every day we still miss you

Hope you like it.