Visits with Mimi, Mandie, & James

What a treat! Mimi came to visit for a few days and she spoiled me like crazy. She gave me lots to eat and we played and read books all day! I hope she comes back soon!

Our friends Mandie & James visited from Chicago. We spent a fun morning at Lake Anne. Seated on the bench with us is Robert E. Simon, founder of Reston.
Here's me looking a little happier. Some people say Mandie and Mommy look alike. I think I mistook her for Mommy a couple times!

At Lake Anne there was music playing and I did a little stroller dance. Check out my rhythm!

The Last of Scotland

We had a fun day at the Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh. My favorite plant there was the grass.

We were so lucky to catch a storytime in a teepee! The man didn't even need any books to tell stories, plus he had these neat horn instruments.

We caught a little sun in Edinburgh, but mostly it was cool and cloudy.

Back in the hotel, I taked on the "phone" a lot. Among my callers were Queen Elizabeth and President Obama.

I found the 8-hour flight very invigorating. I'm not sure if Mommy and Daddy felt the same.

Edinburgh Castle

We spent a day at Edinburgh Castle. It's very well-preserved, so there are a lot of grounds and buildings to explore.

The best way to travel up steep stairs:




Here's a shot of the Edinburgh Tattoo. This is the reason we came to Scotland. Daddy has wanted to see this concert for a long, long time.


The music was great, and so was the ice-cream!

Scotland!

Almost immediately upon arriving in Scotland, I made a new friend. His name is Scotty, he plays bagpipe music, and he's fun to cuddle.

There was a fringe festival going on, so Daddy and I danced to the beat of a rock-n-roll street-band.
We did a sunrise hike to the top of Arthur's Seat, which is basically a really big hill that looks like this:



Here's me and Daddy at the top. It was cold and windy, but I slept through most of it.

On the hike down, we saw a "loch".

Stonehenge!

It wouldn't be a trip to England without seeing Stonehenge!
I was crawling around like I owned the place!

The sun made me a little squinty.

Look at me go!

Salisbury Cathedral

We also went to Salisbury Cathedral. I don't know how they built something that big without any power tools. It was pretty amazing!The cloisters were my favorite part! (See video below)

Now here's why I needed a bath! Mommy had to watch me closely because there were a lot of people walking around.

An Afternoon in Bath

We took a side-trip to Bath to see the Roman Baths. I did need a bath that day (you'll find out why later), but not in this pool!

The pig sort of ruins it, doesn't it? (no pun intended)

Here are some beautiful sights we saw in Bath!

The Last of London

We took a river boat cruise down the River Thames and got a nice view of Big Ben.

One funny thing about London is that they don't seem to have any travel-sized diapers or formula. These were the smallest we could find! (P.S. Excuse the drool puddle. Teething.)

Big news: London Bridge has still not fallen down!

More London Highlights

Also in London, we visited the British Museum. Saw the Rosetta Stone and all that. I didn't like it much inside, but...

outside I ate a yummy banana. No need for any mashing or cutting. I'm a very good eater.

We went to Picadilly Circus to see some sights. I didn't like it there, either. I cried all the way home. Traveling can be pretty rough. Especially for those poor Londoners in the Tube with me.

The next day, we had a nice morning walk through Notting Hill. It was very colorful and quaint.

Look who's in London!

I had a fabulous time during our UK vacation! First stop, Buckingham Palace. I wanted to see Queen Elizabeth II, since she has the same name as me, but I guess she was busy.

We did a family piggy-back to see the changing of the guard. Daddy is a strong guy!




Stay tuned. I'll post more photos soon!

Happy Birthday to ME!

Today (August 11) is my birthday!!! Here's me with my birthday cake. You can't see much cake here because it's all in my tummy! Yum-mee!

Daddy and I were very excited about the cake. I get my appetite from him!
I was very curious about chocolate. Let me tell you, friends, tasting it is even better than touching it!

Ruby came over for my birthday and she let me borrow her crown!

Ruby and I decided to do a little birthday grocery shopping.

Non, I love you a ton!

I bet after seeing my last post, you're wondering, Where's Non? Well, here's a little blast from the past. He looks about the same now, except maybe he grew a little more hair.