Saturday 27/7/2013 – Welcome Home

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2013, 365, childhood, children, family, holiday, home, photoaday, photography, postaday, scout, tent, UK

Sx came back from scout camp today having had a wonderful time – but also admitting to having missed us.

Once Lx got back from spending the day at Legoland with her Dad, they all disappeared into the garden. I followed them out a bit later for a reunion photo and found Sx had organised them all into building a bivouac using the slide and his camp blanket (and assorted other stuff!). He had his sleeping bag in there and was teaching them the words to Gin Gan Goolie.

Normal service is resumed

Lovely to have them all home in one place.

Wednesday 24/7/2013 – Pancakes and Princesses

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2013, 365, Amsterdam, childhood, children, family, Holand, holiday, home, landscape, photoaday, photography, postaday, UK

     We met Barry after our trip round town for pancakes beside the canal. Lx had a special princess pancake which came with a “surprise”. She especially loved the earrings! She said she wants to gt her ears “poked” soon. I think she meant pierced! Then we met up with Susan and Tomas again for a walk through another park and a last drink before saying our goodbyes to them.

Wednesday – 24/7/2013 Gables

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2013, Amsterdam, childhood, children, family, holiday, Holland, home, photoaday, photography, postaday, UK

A lazy morning in Amsterdam staying home and watching a video of the Anne Frank story prior to trying to visit her house (only to be deterred by the queues – what a great excuse to have to come again though!).

In the afternoon we set off for a little walking trip round Amsterdam. Suddnly I found myself interested in architecture. There are so many amazing buildings, so many individual styles. Apparently Amsterdam is famous among architects around the world – I can see why.

how mad is the building above – the roof slopes…

tramlines

Tuesday 23/7/2013 – Beach Babes

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2013, 365, Amsterdam, Beach, childhood, children, cocktail, family, food, Holland, home, meal, photoaday, photography, postaday, UK

Today in Amsterdam we were off to the beach! Just 20 minutes by train and we were there. Wall to wall sun loungers, brown bodies and sand.

 

We broke up the general horizontal relaxing with (at various times) beers, sangria and pancakes.

 

As the day came to an end my brother joined us for dinner at the beach. A wonderful restaurant serving THE most delicious champagne cocktails

(although Lx was luckily just as happy with her coke!)

We had to leave before the sun had truly set to catch the last train home – but it was still beautiful.

Monday 22/7/2013 – Picnic in the Park

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2013, 365, Amsterdam, childhood, children, family, holiday, Holland, home, photoaday, photography, postaday

A lazy day today after some late nights for Miss Lx. We took a stroll to the market where I bought a fantastic pink handbag to use as a camera bag. We stopped for a quick drink and then came home for a well deserved nap after so much activity!

Then out to meet up at Susan’s house and help her carry all her home cooked picnic food down to the park.

A lovely evening in the park where Lx played in the edge of the pool and on the playpark and the grown ups sat and watched the fulll moon rise, heard of a baby Prince born back in the UK and chatted and laughed till dark.

 

Sunday 21/7/2013 – Cotton Eye Joe

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2013, 365, Amsterdam, boat, childhood, children, family, Holland, home, landscape, photoaday, photography, postaday, sunset

Over in Amsterdam the sun was shining – what better weather for a trip on “Cotton Eye Joe” my brother’s boat named after my Uncle Joe who died last year.

First we negotiated the busy canals of the city – picking up Susan en route (a girl I used to work with 10 years ago who is Dutch and who had returned to Amsterdam. When my brother moved here I introduced them and they are now friends too – which has been surreal sometimes when I have skyped them and she has been there!)

Lx loved steering the boat when we were in quieter waters but she was glad to get to the restaurant for lunch and sit in the shade as it was SO hot on the boat. After lunch she had a little nap – when she woke it was cooler and she was refreshed and she loved the rest of the trip.

At one point we had to arrange for the bridge to be raised for us to fit under – the “bridge keeper” came cycling down the path to go and open it up for us.

The waterways were beautiful – reedbeds and waterlilies, bridges and windmills.

A special “bridge” where the cyclists or pedestrians pull the bridge across on chains.

When we got back we left Barry and Janet to “put the boat to bed” and we went on into Amsterdam for a drink. Susan had a brainwave and took us to a beautiful – and quiet – bar by the water where we watched the sun set.

The waiter even managed to find some milk and some bread and honey for Lx.

milk moustache!

A beautiful end to a wonderful day.

 

 

 

Saturday 20/7/2013 – Girls’ Holiday

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2013, 365, Amsterdam, childhood, children, family, holiday, Holland, home, photoaday, photography, postaday

You may be wondering what happened to us. We have been missing.

Miss Lx and I went on a girls’ holiday to Amsterdam for a few days to visit my brother and his wife who have lived there for 3 years.

First though – we dropped Sx off with the scouts for a week away at camp. He will loe it as it is full of all energetic actvities that he loves. I will be surprised if he doesnt come home a) filthy b) exhausted and c) full of stories of what a great time he has had.

Then off to the airport for us – Lx doing some last minute googling.. .

Friday 19/7/2013 – The last day

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2013, 365, childhood, children, family, home, photoaday, photography, postaday, school, UK

I knew today would be tough.  I was really impressed that I managed to walk him to school for the last time, kiss him goodbye and walk home – without crying.

It was lovely that we bumped into his best friend on the way in. Their relationship is a little more fragile and uncertain these days, but they started school together as best friends and so it was lovely that they were the first to sign each others shirts as the time comes for them to leave.

Once I got home I made this diptych of his first day and last day – that was it – it had me in tears. And the day had only just begun!

This afternoon was “leavers’ assembly” which was full of the children reminiscing about their time at school and which ended up with the (tearjerking) “leavers song” and then a slideshow of some amazing photos of them all made to suitably emotional music. By now I was sobbing!

At the end of it all, I was in bits. Good job I had stocked up on tissues beforehand – and had taken dark glasses.

We also heard that Simmonds house (which Sx was the house captain for this year and which all the children belong to) had WON the inter-house competition this year. What a great way to finish and a fabulous note for Sx to depart on.

The children all hd beautifully autographed shirts by the end of the day – getting signatures from their friends, teachers around the school and any other children they could find!

Home for a bit more of a cry then out for a carvery meal to mark the occasion. I really am rubbish with goodbyes! 

Thursday 18/7/2013 – Leavers’ Disco

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2013, 365, childhood, family, home, photoaday, photography, postaday, school, UK

After an emotional time saying goodbye to Lx’s school helper (as she is off to a new job at the end of term) it was a busy evening going to Gx’s drama end-of-term show to 5pm, a meeting at Sx’s new school re the summer school at 6pm nd then on to the kids’ school for 6.45 to set up to take photos for the levers disco.

The disco was organised by a group of year 6 parents (as opposed to the normal school discos which are organised by the PTA and I have to say – I think we did  fabulous job tonight!

There were banners and balloons,  red carpet on arrival, welcome cocktails (in proper plastic cocktail glasses with sugared rims) A disco nd sncks (including ice pops half way through) and  “photo booth” outside with silly hats and wigs etc for them to have pictures with their friends.

The photo booth was REALLY popular and they were queuing for the entire 1.5 hours for more silly pics. They will all get a copy of them all on a CD. So lovely to see them all enjoying themselves with their friends…but it did worry me how good Sx looked in that wig!

Wednesday 17/7/2013 – From Dawn to Dusk

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2013, 365, acting, childhood, children, family, home, photoaday, photography, postaday, school, show, UK

A proud Mummy all day today from dawn to dusk. From when we got up and had to rush round to get Gx in to his “School Council Breakfast” (a yummy breakfast for all the school council representatives in the school to thank them for their year of work. He has been a very conscientious school council rep and taken it very seriously)

Then tonight I got to go and watch Sx in his show. He made another Mum sitting near me cry with his singing (in a good way!!) 🙂 So so proud of him he did so well.