Field Tripping

Big Ben....Parlaiment



Striking a pose at Trafalgar Square


Class 2B on the London Eye




Following a Wednesday full of paying attention to detail, slogging through laundry and cleaning out closets, I hit the road with the second graders of ACS for a field trip into London to see the London Eye, Big Ben, Trafalgar Sqaure and St. James Park. It was a beautiful day. On a great day like this, when the sun is shining and a cool breeze is blowing and the crowds are not to bad, you wonder why anyone would ever leave London. Then you hit a day when it's pouring rain and cold and the Tube line you need is closed and you have to push your way through crushing crowds like a salmon swimming upstream trying to make your train, and you remember why some people opt not to stay forever. But today, was one of those perfect days when London seems kind of magical.

I was really impressed by how well all the kids did. We walked them all over down town London and they all stayed with "their adult" and no one complained about the walking or being hungry or having to go the bathroom right after we left somewhere there was a bathroom. It was a field trip miracle.

Maddie is plumb wore out. I've gotten her to sleep about 45 minutes earlier than usual without much effort.

After strolling around London with some of the other parents, I am glad we chose to live closer to the city rather than further out toward the school. Whereas I was familiar with all the places we visited, many of the parents who live further out in the burbs had never explored this part of London. Several of them had never been to the National Gallery that sits on Trafalgar Square and I've popped in there many times.

Am hoping to get most of the moving prep done before we leave for Duesseldorf tomorrow so that I can just enjoy being here next week.

Couldn't believe the coverage of the 20 year anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests. It doesn't seem like it was that long ago.