The Songs of the Summer

Lately, we've been listening to a lot of music.  Summertime can be hot midday and it's nice to have a little singing.  Rose has been introducing Teddy to American Music, and for the 4th of July she took him to visit the American Museum in Bath. 

She has introduced him to Funk from Louisiana through the Meters 'Audubon Zoo' 

She's gotten a bit of the Shirelles too, as she trades tucking Teddy in at night with Dan, she'll tell him, 'Tonight you're mine' 

And a cover of Bobby Darin's Splish Splash, the Sha Na Na version is quite fun watching and listening. Teddy likes this one in the tub. 

Teddy really enjoys music and singing and dancing. He will sing to himself while he's playing and make up little songs about things in his life. It reminds us of how it can be easier to express things through music and how powerful music is in our lives. 

x

We're Going on a Bear Hunt

Teddy recently went out on a 'Bear Hunt' in a field around Paulton.  We quoted the book about the tall grass and how it goes swishy swashy, and we found a river too. It was fun. Summer is here and we've been enjoying getting outside, especially on sunny days.

Teddy has a set of binoculars and a telescope, and he's enjoying seeing the world through them. He refers to himself as 'Mr. Leader' on these walks, and he insists on walking in the front of the expedition.

Here are some pictures from our Bear Hunt.  I hope you've been finding adventure wherever you are.

The Fledgling Leaves the Nest!

We've moved from London (goodbye Southwark!) to Paulton, Somerset.  Back to where Dan is from and where he can freely drop the 't' in 'tractor'.

Actually, we moved in November, but we are only updating the blog now (!) because well it's been a while adjusting.

To catch up our lovely readers, we went back to the USA for Christmas and saw Lots and Lots of cousins (Rose's cousins and Teddy's cousins). We've welcomed Teddy's newest cousin, Eira, on December 20th (this was easy to remember because it was the day we flew to the USA). Today, we found out that Teddy was accepted into his first choice for school, he will be starting in September.

We are going back to London on May 19th for two birthdays, 4-years and 40-years, both of which will be great.

We experienced the great snow of 2018 in Somerset, and it was lots of fun.  We are considering taking a winter holiday in the future so we can continue to have snowy activities.  You can see our house in the background, it is a 2-bedroom house and it is perfect for with Dan, Teddy, Me, and Goldie the Goldfish.

Halloween

We've begun carving pumpkins for Halloween. It's messy and fun.

School!

Teddy has begun preschool, also called nursery school.  He goes to Southwark Park Primary School. He seems to enjoy it. He wears a uniform that we bought at the grocery store (almost all schools in the UK have a uniform), and he has a few buddies.  One of the girls in his class said they are going to get married. Which was hilarious.

We had a 6-week meeting with Teddy's key worked and she said he's very good at sitting on the carpet, raising his hand, and answering questions. He is very good at interacting with adults, which wasn't a surprise for me, Teddy loves adults, he's an only child. When I first went to school my teacher told my mother 'Rose seems to enjoy being in a group' to which my mother answered, 'She has 5 siblings, she's in a group every day of her life!'.

Teddy enjoys taking his scooter to school, and when I pick him up we sometimes play 'scooter football' which is wildly dangerous because when the scooter goes over the football it tends to flip. This danger is probably what makes the game so much fun.  

Holiday in France

We have recently returned from a short holiday in France, taking in the towns of Limoges, Angoulême, Bonneville, Hiersac, and briefly Verneuil-sur-Vienne. The ultimate reason behind this jaunt was to attend the Burtt(s)chell Family reunion, an opportunity for Teddy to meet 60 odd international cousins! We have however totally fallen in love with this area of France.

The reunion got  write up in the local

paper. 

Table decor with the flags of the three branches of the family. 

Ted outside the church in Bonneville (where reunion took place). 

The obligatory look around the cemetery, a part of all family reunions, this one in Bonneville. 

Ted in his hammock in Hiersac. 

An amazing chapel in the butchers quarter of Limoges. 

The street on which we stayed in Hiersac. 

Snacks...

... make you jump for joy! 

Teddy goes behind the camera

Teddy had his first experience with photography a few days ago, I want to share the images with you all. Tell me what you think in the comments below. The focus on the body and how it related to a verdant but utilitarian landscape is quite avant-garde.

Happy Third Birthday Teddy!

We had Teddy's 3rd birthday party last weekend.

It was a fun day with family & friends, waffles, and cake!

Teddy enjoyed the day, and appreciated all the gifts he recieved so much he woke up at 4:30 the next 2 mornings to play with them!

Here are a few pics from the day

3 birthday candles, making a wish!

all blown out

having waffles with cousin Bailey

It's great to be able to get together for birthdays, since so many of our friends live near and far, it gives us a chance to catch up. 

Easter Egg Hunt!

Teddy had a chance for his first Easter Egg Hunt, and he loved running around the park looking for colorful eggs, then when he found out they were made of chocolate it was even more fun!

1 day without us

Rose and Ted participated in 1 day without us, by attending an event at our local MPs office....

1 Day Without Us is a National Day of Action on 20th Feb 2017 to celebrate the contribution of migrants to the UK, to coincide with UN World Day of Social Justice.

Rose's tweet was retweeted