Suffolk, Part 2

Before I finish up the trip recap - I just want to say that B and the kids and I will be in CA from June 16-July 12! Very excited!

Anyhow... after staying with our friends, we headed up to Lowestoft, which has a long (mostly) sandy beach. We were in one of the buildings on top of the cliff. The UK has these things called beach huts, which are colo(u)rful little shack things. I gather they basically keep beach-type things in there as a kind of glorified locker, and maybe sometimes retreat there to sit out of the sun or to change clothes. Maybe Americans don't use beach huts due to relying more on cars? I don't know.

Here's the beach:

E had been stomping about in a most pleased manner in the water.

After one night in Lowestoft (breakfast, dinner and afternoon tea included), and a quick visit to E's great-aunt, we set off to our simple but cheerful little bungalow in Kessingland (where Rider Haggard, the novelist, once lived). We were a 5 minute walk from the beach.

E on a motorbike at his GA's house:

Running up the path past the ducks at the cottage, toward the gate leading to the beach:

B getting the kite aloft, E with spade and mat.



Sandcastle-building, moat-digging...



Got a few more photos to put up in the next post... will try to get to that in a few days. We are having a great long Easter weekend, and we have another four-day weekend coming up due to the royal marriage!

Suffolk, Part 1

We drove up to Suffolk last week to attend a wedding reception. Stayed two nights with friends, who have kids aged 3 and 4, and had an absolute blast. They loved E and E loved them! After they all got up very early in the morning, the 3 year old boy and E instantly bonded over the fact that their pyjamas have dinosaurs on the front.

At one point, someone jokingly asked who was going to marry E, and both kids laid claim to him. And they all held hands to go across the street and look at the pigs (rural location here) and kept holding hands. B has a very touching pic on his Blackberry.

Later on, we all went boating on the pond.

There's a little island with a Wendy house. We touched down briefly, but poor E was so sleep-deprived we didn't stay long.


Here's a better view of the lake, with "The House in the Clouds" just visible.


Fleecy hat, strawberry ice cream, beach. Ain't life grand when you're 2?


Will update more next time. Until then, here's a recent pic of Callie and B:

Spring 2011

...is finally here. B was out all day today so E, C and I went out for a long midday/early afternoon walk. It was bright and sunny, the skies were blue, and it was reasonably warm for once. Everything's been gray for so long that it was almost breathtaking to see sunlight again.

A few pics, mostly from Kew Gardens....


And a gorgeous spring sunset viewed from our garden. I don't think the picture does it justice. It looked as if a magical dragon had soared through the skies and spewed out plumes of bright orange cloud.

Semaphore Tower

Last weekend we took a short ramble on Ockham Common, with the baby in a sling and the toddler running a bit wild.

We found lots of pinecones:

And a den.

And a semaphore tower.


It was gloomy with patches of slightly-less-gloomy, pretty much par for the course in winter here.

But spring is right around the corner. And we had a good time.

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Artiste

Seriously! He did this all by himself and was about to erase it when I took this photo.

Having Kids...

...means you get to do kid things again!





Baby Callie "watching."

First taste of cotton candy....