Silence of the library

I've just been at the library.  It's an excellent one, very well used, especially by families.  On weekdays it's open 9:00am-9:00pm and it's always busy, with kids checking out books even at closing time.

But not tonight.  I've never known it so empty and eerily quiet.  I'm sure I glimpsed some tumbleweed blowing between the shelves.  Ah, but of course, it's the night before school starts.  Every kid in the district has been sent to bed early.

Our two, usually stayer-uppers, didn't need shooing off to bed.  They've both been getting up between 4 and 5am since we got back from England, so they're ready for sleep well before their normal bedtime.  In fact, when I returned from the library the Boy was already fast asleep on the sofa.  He won't know until he wakes up that I managed to borrow the audiobook he was after...but no doubt dawn will be breaking tomorrow to the sound of Harry blinkin' Potter again.

Lastminute.mom

Remember a few weeks ago when I was so chuffed with myself for getting on and buying school supplies well ahead of back-to-school day?  Ha!  So much for that.   While we were in the UK the Girl received her subject-teacher designations, and a whole new list of school supplies specifically required by each of them.  Oh, and there were still the Boy's supplies to buy, which I just hadn't quite got round to before.

It took me all day, dragging myself from store to store with all the other last minute moms. This store was all out of glue-sticks; the next was down to its last box of pencils (I needed two); only one store had any red binders and then only at outrageous prices (there's always one teacher who insists on red binders, when they must know red binders are like gold-dust). 

However after several frazzled hours trying to correctly follow the very specific instructions (eight dividers with pockets; six yellow folders with prongs etc etc) I had managed to complete the list.  Hooray!  Now I just have to spend another day divvying everything up and making sure the right bits of kit go to school with the right kid - it might prove a challenge too much for my poor slow-moving, jet-lagged brain.

Flamin' Liberty

We were all up bright(ish) and much, much too early this morning.  Flicking back the curtains we could see across the airport runway and, in the distance...the Empire State Building! 

New York, New York!

Labor Day of course.We didn't need to hurry back to Albany, so we decided to do some sightseeing.  Liberty State Park, the start point for the Statue Cruise ferry, was just a few minutes drive from our hotel so that's where we headed.  Before we knew what was what we had tickets and were going through airport-style security prior to boarding a boat.

The Manhattan skyline was looking fine, even against a cloudy sky.  New York is an exciting city to be in, but I like it best of all as a view.





First stop, Ellis Island, which of course was also the first stop for millions of immigrants to the US at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century.  Hard to imagine the emotions of those settlers, eager to start a new life in America, saying goodbye to their homelands forever.  Just arrived back here and still feeling the tug of home, I'm not sure I could ever take such a step.  But maybe, in a way, it's something that's easier to do when you have no option of returning.

Back on the ferry and over to Liberty Island to see the world's most famous statue.  The kids were interested that Liberty is depicted as a female.  I don't know why that is, do you?  Security checks again, then we climbed the pedestal, and enjoyed more views across the Hudson, the great green lady towering high above us.

Finally back to the car, back on the road, back to the Capital District.  And back to bed already for the kids - me too, quite soon, I think.

Burilliant

The Man writes...one final walk in Whippendell woods to complete a burilliant holiday. Grandpa sportingly provided target practice for the children's bur throwing (and the Girl provided today's blog title).

Check-in at Heathrow was immensely tedious, involving much use of touch screens which broke down, and then wouldn't give us boarding passes. We went to find a Virgin rep who gave us the option of sitting together in seats with no entertainment system or sitting separately. When we chose the latter, she revealed that the children weren't allowed to sit separately anyway! Eventually a solution was found with us in pairs on the top deck of the Jumbo - which was mildly interesting in itself.

A pleasant flight but Newark was typically horrendous - over an hour in line for immigration - so that it was nearly 3am London time as we reached our Newark hotel. The children kept going admirably, but now everyone (else) is sound asleep.

Star turn

My parents treated us today at an excellent vegetarian restaurant called Woody's at Apsley Lock Marina.  We drove part of the way, then walked the rest along the canal towpath.  It was tasty local, organic type of fare, and for those in our party who just say no to cooked food or vegetarianism (sigh) there was some yummy ice-cream in almost American-sized portions.

Mum then took the kids home by train, Dad drove home and the Man and I walked all the way back to Watford beside the canal - six miles, maybe.  Weatherwise the day couldn't quite decide what it wanted to be, but the sky was mostly blue and the sun was doing its best, and the walk was good.

The Girl, trying to slope off after dinner this evening, was instructed by her Grandpa to come back to the table and "sparkle".  She disappeared for a minute or two and returned with a big grin and a large paper star taped to her head. Though she's hardly the model child, sometimes you've got to appreciate her original sense of humour.

Who nose why?

Today has been spent at a slightly less hectic pace than the last few (not that sitting in various friends' gardens chatting all day is exactly hectic, but maybe you know what I mean).  A couple of Watford friends dropped by for a cup of tea this afternoon, but otherwise it's been a family/home day with just a couple of minor outings to the ancient Whippendell Woods and the Harlequin Centre.

It was, as usual, a treat to visit Linton this week and, as usual, I'm full of regrets at leaving.  Even though I know that, if we were there all the time, people might not be specially excited to see us or eager to offer us lunch, still it's lovely to know we have so many good friends there.  And I do think it says something about a place that whenever Linton people decide to move they only ever seem to move as far as another house in the village.  Either there's something Twilight Zone-y going on, or else it really is a nice place to live.

By the way, for everyone who  has kindly been wondering what the Band-aid sporting Girl has done to her nose, the answer turns out to be:  absolutely nothing.

Thanks and farewell

It's very late, so here is an interim blog entry just for now which I'll fill out with more details and photos tomorrow.  But for the moment, THANK YOU to all the good friends and neighbours who, as usual, made our visit to Linton so completely enjoyable.  Special thanks to the Rockfish crew for putting us up, and also to everyone who has fed us over the last few days - it's been a sort of safari restaurant experience, with every meal at a different address, and it's been great. 

For the endless coffee, tea, food, trampolining and wonderful company - we can't thank you all enough.