We have been back for almost a month now. It took a week to finally start to feeling like I am in the correct time zone when we got home. I really had no naps at all when we were away, so I had to get back into my nap schedule, which I tried to fight at first, but now accept. We had an incredible time, but I am happy to be back in my own bed, playing with my cats, being back in school and having my own toys.
Mommy and daddy (and me) took so many photos that I am not even going to attempt to put many up here...but here is a link so you can see all of them for yourself.
I think the best way to run through our trip without boring you, is to do it in bullets. I am sure I am leaving something out, but when I remember something I will come back and update.
- I loved being on a plane! This was my very first time. I have seen it on TV and in the sky, but this time I was actually ON the plane! I know mommy is nervous, because she hates flying, but I loved it. And I had my own TV screen..I got to watch Doctor Who the entire trip over! Mommy had brought some new toys to keep me busy on the flight. They were so much fun to play with that I never slept even though it was an overnight flight. Sadly, mommy and daddy didn't get a chance to sleep either, since I forced them to play with me.
- I don't think it helped mommy and her fear of flying that when we got to O'Hare, the plane next to our gate was surrounded by cop cars, and cops waiting at the gate to apprehend someone. Me...I just thought it was all fun to watch.
- Grandma Doreen was waiting for us after we got through customs at Heathrow. I was so happy to see her! She gave me a big hug. I walked all by myself, with my suitcase on wheels, from the gate all the way to grandma's car in the parking garage.
- For some reason I called Grandma 'grandpa' the entire time. Was this not correct? Why would everyone laugh at me when I did it? When grandpa Jerry was visiting, I kept calling him "grandma" and now that I switch I still don't have it right.
- When we got to Grandma's house, in Basingstoke, we were so tired, so mommy, daddy and I took a nap. Then when we woke up Uncle Gary came to visit!! I love my uncle Gary, and was so happy to see him again.
- The first weekend we set off for France. Grandma gave us her car for the visit, so we took it on the ferry...a total barf-o-rama. The weather was grey and rainy, and the boat kept going side to side in an extreme way...so much that the glasses and bottles in the bars were breaking and people could not stand up straight. I thought it was funny and laughed a lot...but then I got sick and mommy got sick. This is my favorite story to tell about our trip. I also love imitating me and mommy getting sick. Daddy was good and took care of us. I love my daddy!
- We stayed at daddy's friend's house in Normandy, they have the most amazing converted farm house in the country. The closest village was 10 minutes away, and is called Neufchatel. It was perfect. Mommy kept saying it was like "Under the Tuscan Sun" but French, and that she wanted to move here. On that Sunday, we went to Paris to spend the day with mommy's friend. I saw the Eiffel Tower, ate a crepe, lots of chocolate and walked down the Champs Elysees. I definitely want to go back to France!
In the village of Neufchatel:
Our first baguette, and a Kinder egg (i love these):
At the Eiffel Tower:
In front of the Arc de Triomphe...yes, the rain followed us to every city:
- Daddy's friends had their own lake and river and daddy and his friend actually caught the fish for our dinner one night!
- I had fun walking around and checking out all the trees and plants and picking bay leaves for mommy. I wish we had a yard like that.
- Mommy refused to take the ferry back because she did not want a repeat performance of the Pukefest winter 2007, and daddy friends actually surprised us, and got us a ticket on the chunnel back...whoo hoo! It is a bit scary though...because you have to drive your car onto a train, stay in your car on the train, while it goes under the channel. But, the good part...only 25 min from station to station, and no motion sickness. I just played in my car seat and enjoyed the ride.
- Mommy, daddy, and I spent a day on our own in London. Rainy (of course), but still had a great time. I loved Borough Market. It was fun to look and smell at all the interesting food there. I even had my own fresh fruit smoothie and some veggies. Yum! We walked all over London. We ended up in Notting Hill, and walked all the way back to the market. Luckily I had a nice comfy stroller to chill out in.
Borough Market: (mommy was told this is the market that Bridget shopped at, in her favorite movie, Bridget Jones' Diary).
We went into the Tate Modern and saw the crack:
- We drove up to Liverpool to visit mommy's friend. They just bought a house off of Penny Lane (think Beatles)...we had tons of fun hanging out with them, and walking around Liverpool.
- My favorite thing...every night we were either with family or friends, and they would always cook. It was so nice to stay in and play. Most the friends we saw and stayed with had kids, so I had so much fun. As soon as we got to someone's house with kids, I felt right at home, and comfortable in going through their toys. And Grandma Doreen had lots of toys for me to play with too. I was never bored.
- Mommy and daddy didn't buy much since the dollar was really bad. Basically...when you saw something and it said 20 pounds...the English see it as we would see $20..but it was really $40 to us. So, we would be eating really average meals and spending like $50 for the pleasure.
- But we did come across something you can't find in the US...Doctor Who toys. We went to Toys R Us and there was a huge section. I was in heaven, I didn't even know where to start. Mommy and daddy bought me a Martha figure and a Tardis and I took there with me everywhere on the trip. Grandma Doreen ended up secretly buying a bunch, and mommy and daddy had to sneak it home. I got them all for Xmas and love playing with them all.
We also went to Hamley's in London, and they had a huge widow display of Doctor Who...I think daddy even loved it more than me!
Hamley's window display:
Toys R Us with Grandma:
- I had so much fun meeting all of daddy's family. I even met some kids of daddy's cousins. It was nice knowing I could play with kids who I am related to. I loved cousin Mitchel. As soon as he walked in I wanted to play, he seemed a bit nervous, but soon I was snuggling up with him. I got to meet some of daddy's uncles, an aunt, cousins, and they were all so nice.
see, Mitchel is to the left of me, and cousin Emma is to his left:
- We toured the area where daddy grew up and we saw the house he grew up in, and his elementary school and high school. Mommy kept saying how it was all so pretty.
- I finally met Grandpa George. I hated that it took so long, but it finally happened. We went to see him on 3 different days for a few hours each. I was very happy to see him, and he gave me cars to play with. I am still playing with them today.
- I was really sad to have to say good-bye. Grandma Doreen took us to the airport. I didn't like having to say good-bye to her. Mommy was in zombie-mode because she hates flying so much (which again, was not helped by the London police interrogating people about some bag they found in the terminal). Daddy had to really take charge.
I was so happy to be on a plane again. I love it, and never once cried. Actually, I started to sing really loud on the plane and made people laugh. The flight home was pretty bumpy...I thought it was fun. Mom did not. And on my own TV I got to watch more Doctor Who and cartoons all the way home.
Grandma Doreen and me looking at cats in her back garden:
Once we got home, it took a week to get back into our own time zone. And then it was Xmas!
I had such a fun time...and really miss my family and new friends. Sometimes when I am playing I make up songs about Uncle Gary and Grandma Doreen. I hope they come to visit soon!
Daddy says we will be back in England soon too!
No comments:
Post a Comment