FBF - W through the years

In about an hour we will be celebrating his #7 on the beach with all his classmates! Pictures soon...

Squid Racers, Jolly Rocker, Pirate Falls & The Dragon

We finally made it to LegoLand! We went last Friday, when 99% of other UK schools were in session, and had a perfect day for it. The weather was hot, the queues were short and the boys were at a great age for it. We arrived just before the park opened and we shut the park down. I had packed some dried mango and rice cakes, we bought a couple bottles of water, but other than a short break to eat the snacks and drink water, we were on ride after ride after ride. At about 4:00 I started to bonk and made them all stop for another quick snack before getting on the next ride! It closed at 5 and we went for dinner in Ascot where we all refueled and discussed our favorite rides. Those listed above were favs of the boys but the ultimate family favorite ended up being the Jolly Rocker - a big pirate ship that swings back and forth making your tummy drop.

at the Lego Brighton Pier!

That was really fun.

Can we go there again sometime?

Two statements that are music to my ears. When my boys say this to me it makes me feel so good. Wednesday was one of those days.

As mentioned plenty, we are taking full advantage of every moment these days and fitting in all those things we've meant to do before we leave. On Wednesday, we hit up the beautiful West Wittering beach with some friends from school. The draw to this beach was the sand and it certainly delivered. We've been finding sand in our pockets, our ears, my wallet...everywhere!

said sand

As we were getting in the car to grab dinner with some friends before returning home, we noticed our car had a flat. It was a bit of a hiccup getting it fixed temporarily (ever heard of a locking wheel nut key? I now have...) However in the end, we got home safely and even made it up to Legoland the following day. Yes, you guessed it, more on that later.

Rocking pooling in Rottingdean

When we moved into our home here in Hove nearly 2 years ago, our landlord told us in a very heavy German accent 'You must take the children rock pooling in Rottingdean', with major emphasis on the 'r'. We have smiled about it since whenever thinking of what we should do for the weekend. This weekend we actually did go rrrrrrock pooling in RRRRRottingdean and our landlord was very right, it was a must and quite enjoyable for all.

The boys and I are off for our last mid-term break. When we go back, we will go for 6 weeks before we pack up and make our way one way or another to Minnesota. The details aren't all worked out yet, but we are getting close to committing to a flight, date, and an airport. Until then, we are enjoying our home here and soaking up as much as we can.

It's JUNE!

Someone woke up this morning pretty excited that it is finally his birthday month. Let the official countdown begin!

We had a very English weekend. Friday night Owen had cricket practice. We met the lovely Mates family up at the field for a few drinks and some baseball practice after cricket practice (ok - that part was a bit American). After, we got an Indian take away and brought it back to ours for a bit more fun.

Saturday morning Owen had his first hard ball Cricket match - which meant he got to wear all the pads while he batted - which was pretty much the cutest thing. (see proof below)

Today we enjoyed a relaxing morning together followed Jer heading up for a round of golf, while the boys and I took in some sunshine and waves at the seaside.

rock art ala tkhh

Kendama

One of our greatest finds on our trip to Amsterdam was Kendama, an ancient Japanese toy being made at a boutique juggle shop in the heart of Amsterdam. The boys both chose to spend their holiday money on one and spent the rest of the trip playing with them (and sharing them with their father) as we walked the streets. They are working on mastering a few tricks and have ideas of using the two lathes family members have back home to try manufacture their own to sell at fairs around the Twin Cities - consider yourselves warned Grandpa Harala and Grandpa Bruce! Here is the proof of it being a hit on our trip...

Ready to climb Mount Everest?

Our flat in Amsterdam was on the second floor, up some of the narrowest and steepest stairs we'd ever seen. I measured them (with my tried and true finger measurement I learned from my dad) and I'd say they were 6" deep (and that's generous). Whenever we came home from being out exploring we would say 'Ready to climb Mount Everest?' anticipating our walk up to our flat.

We spent most of our days walking Amsterdam - setting a family record of 24,352 steps one day! In addition to all the walking we also enjoyed the famous canals by boat and paddle boat. We enjoyed them in the sun and lit up at night. We saw all sorts of wooden shoes, cheese and tulips. We stopped for ice cream, coffee, pancakes and visited the VanGogh Museum to learn about Vincent's life. What a trip!