our last UK Thanksgiving

Paris!

We finally made it to paris!  It was a pretty rocky morning with having to have it van could repaired before it was safe to drive to London, running to the school trying to track down zacks tennis shoes, and a  very sick and miserable baby. But we are here!

Chris found this awesome place to park for half the price by the train station in london. This guy rents out his driveway!  So, that's what we did then walked the 10 mi utes to the station!  That was a first!

Instead of driving it flying to Paris we decided to take the Euro Star. It was incredible and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Easy on, easy off, easy passport stations, and super clean. it goes under the channel...a d you cant even tell!  After 2 1/2 hours we were in Paris!

First impressions?  Paris is so dirty and looks like a rough neighborhood in east LA. The further we got from the train station (our airbnb is a 15 minute walk from there) the better the neighborhood. I felt pretty unsafe walking through the neighborhoods. Lots of clusters of big black men talking, smiking, drinking....it was very scary. My suitcase wheel picked up a huge clump of hair from some girls weave and I was dragging it....along with the leaves and trash stuck on it...for a good part of the walk. 

We finally made it to our Airbnb!  The building itself is under renovation...but inside is great, albeit tiny....so typical EU. there were four locked doors before we actually made it to our apartment. nick loved his little sink bath!

Andrew and Christopher headed to the market and watched them lock up. They close 9pm ON THR DOT!  thankfully Christopher is resourceful and found another market, while the rest of the kids got ready for bed and watched cars 2. 

Tomorrow is Versailles and the Effile tower!

Oh if only.....

This baby was loved and adored. I finally took a picture of a  very normal scene in our home. Kids trying to prove that nick loves them most. 

glastonbury carnival

Officially 16!

This handsome guy is finally 16!  He is one amazing kid.  So kind, smart, inquisitive, sensitive and 100 more things!  His day started out with his requested breakfast of waffles, bacon, and his phone.

I was feeding Nick so I asked Andrew to get some pictures of Benjamin opening presents.  This is what I got.  Notice Andrew's shoes....he couldn't be bothered to actually sit up and get a real pictures.  Sigh.

He gets his $$$!!  $100.00 from Nini and Bebe and $500 (in pounds) from us!  He earned it for not kissing a girl before his 16th birthday!  So proud of this handsome kid!

Wanted to make sure he wasn't shorted!  Ha!  Andrew came in and asked if he could count it too.  That's a lot of money!

And his requested cake.  Chocolate cake with oreo ice cream center.  I was pretty proud of how it turned out!