1940s Day

Our local gardens just had a 1940s day, so while Matt took Lily to the movies, I took Miles and Clara to check it out.

We arrived right after it began at 10:30. It was a beautiful day, and wasn't extremely crowded yet. Miles grabbed an ice cream, and we nearly ran into the parade.

As we approached the hub of the event, they had a few interesting stalls set up. Touch an exotic animal (mainly snakes), hold a bird of prey, and this obstacle course.

Miles desperately wanted to go on this, but it was taken down when we walked back around.

There were lots of vintage vehicles set up, especially military scenes.

This was an MG Midget, which cost £199 brand new

We arrived near the stage, where a group of children were doing some sort of show. We missed a great deal of it, so we listened to a song and walked on. When we circled back around, there was a big band playing, and several people dancing. It's hard to see, but I couldn't get much closer due to the crowds and the stairs (Clara was in the stroller).

Miles liked the treats.

My favorite part was seeing the people who came dressed up. Many of the men wore military uniforms, but a few looked like they should be in a barbershop quartet.

I don't think the smartphone is historically accurate

We were only there for a couple of hours, but it wore poor Clara out.

On the way out, Miles played on the inflatable slide for a few minutes. I wasn't sure he would enjoy the whole event, but he did say he liked it.

Once Matt and Lily finished their movie, they met us at the gardens to grab a bite to eat. By this time, it was around 1:30, and it was really hot and crowded. We ordered some fish and chips and took them home to eat. Next year I'd like to go back, but I think we'll stick to the early hours.

Harlow Carr, Part 2

There's a children's show here called In the Night Garden, and Clara loves it (which means it can hold her attention for about 10-15 minutes). RHS Harlow Carr had a special In the Night Garden installation, so we took the kids to see it.

We received an activity packet with a map to follow, and we were able to see a few different parts of the gardens than we had last time. And of course the late spring plants were in full bloom, so that changed the scenery a bit.

All three children liked the special installation, especially Clara. There was an app you could download to play a game, but she was happy just to find the pictures of the characters.

Her "cheese" face, aka Blue Steel

We took a nice, relaxed pace, and let the kids explore.

This tree had enormous flowers!

This gazebo had pretty stained glass.

And this time, the kids got to play at the play areas. We didn't stay very long though, because the hungry meltdowns started.

So we grabbed a quick lunch and headed toward the exit, ending another fun trip to the gardens.

Little Things

Wow, I have been very bad at blogging this month. I think it's because we're just living our day to day life, and that seems so boring to share. So here are some of my random thoughts.

One of the things I thought I'd miss terribly about the US was Target. I went often, and it got to the point that if I asked Lily what she wanted to do, she'd say, "Go to Target!" But honestly, I'm not missing it at the moment. I can't think of anything I would need from that particular store. Not to say that my feelings won't change...

Another place I frequented in the US was Starbucks. Of course, there are Starbucks here (although not on every corner like in the Denver area). And I have been to the one in our town... once. I'm just not compelled to keep going. There are other coffee shops that are closer to home and have good lattes, so I just go there.

One thing I am missing at the moment is ice. We don't have an ice tray for the freezer, but I'm thinking I may want to get one. Since the weather has been a bit warmer I've been wanting cold water to drink, and I'll definitely need ice for mixed drinks in the summer. (Side note: I tried Pimm's and lemonade this weekend for the first time. It's a common drink in the UK, and I thought it was refreshing. Definitely something to have on hand in the warm weather.)

Speaking of the weather... We moved from a place that boasted 300+ days of sunshine per year, but the weather here isn't as bad as I'd thought. Sure, we get a lot of great days, and a lot more rain, but it doesn't rain all the time (or even every day).  The weather is very changeable, just like the places I've lived in the States. It just doesn't have extreme hot and cold like I was used to.

Okay, with those thoughts out of the way, it's time for pictures. Here are some recent trips to the park when the weather's been nice.

And of course when the wading pool opened, they had to get in fully clothed.

Lastly, here are a few from US Memorial Day/UK bank holiday. We didn't do much, just a little rainy day thrift store shopping. We did walk through the park on the way home though.

That's about it for now. We haven't done much traveling yet, even around England, but we're trying to make an effort to plan things so we actually go places.  So the are fun things on the horizon. I'd also love to answer any questions anyone has - about the move, living abroad, or whatever.  Cheers!