Whip-Whip-Whipple Museum!

Today we went to the Whipple Museum. It's all about the history of science! The Whipple Museum is in a set of buildings that were once the Cavendish Laboratories. Some pretty amazing things were discovered there, including the structure of DNA! I'm not really sure what DNA is, but Daddy says it's something to do with our genetics and blood.

My favorite thing was a model of a clock. It's small compared to what the real clock is like, but it was really cool. You can see how the seconds tick by on a clock! Daddy held me up so I could see it and we watching at least 96 seconds tick by.

Besides the clock, there were a bunch of old microscopes. Including one of the first microscopes that an important man named Charles Darwin bought. Daddy told me that Darwin was one of the first guys to talk about evolution and that he studied animals. I don't know anything about evolution, but I LOVE animals, so I'm sure we would have been friends. 

Upstairs, they have a whole collection of globes. That's when I knew this really was a museum designed for Daddy! Daddy loves science and he loves maps and globes. They had some really, really old globes there. One of Daddy's favorites was made out of slate--the continents were outlined, but you could fill in the countries with chalk!

Mummy likes this museum, too, because it's about the history of science, not just science. She found a cool display of horse jaws that showed each stage of a horse's life and how their teeth change. But I think her favorite part was the "Victorian Parlor." They had everything set up how a parlor would be during the Victorian times. She made me put on a silly hat--actually, I look pretty good, don't I?

The Tube is a Great Place for a Nap. And so is Parliament Square.

I found some amazing places to take naps and scenic places to eat while we were in London yesterday. Mum wanted me to sleep while we were on the train, but there were just too many things to see and look at outside the window.

But once we got on the Tube, it was just too long since I woke up--I fell asleep right before our stop at Westminster. 

Mummy carried me for a while, then put me in my stroller with my blanket. I took a nice nap while she and Daddy got through the crowds around the Houses of Parliament. 

I think Mummy was a little bit disappointed that I wasn't awake for when Big Ben told us it was noon, so I decided I better open my eyes so we could take a family picture. 

Mum has told me all about Big Ben and how much she loves to hear the bells. I liked to look around at all the people while they took pictures and ate their lunches at Parliament Square. Watching them made me really hungry through, so Mum and Dad stopped at McDonalds and got food for them, then we headed to St. James' Park for lunch. 

Did you know that St. James' Park is right in front of Buckingham Palace? That's where the Queen lives. Mummy and Daddy said if I want to live there I'm going to have to marry a Princess. I guess that would be ok.

Just as we went through the gates into Green Park, it started to rain. I decided I was tired of being in my stroller and just wanted Mummy to hold me, so I got to ride in the tummy pack and see her pretty umbrella! 

We walked and walked and walked and walked until we finally found the Victoria and Albert Museum, Mummy's favorite Museum in London. I liked it because I got a bottle once we went inside. We wandered around and looked at some of the amazing things in the museum. My favorite part was probably all the silver they have in a big long hallway. 

The Victoria and Albert Museum is HUGE though. Mummy said that we went into parts that she had never seen before--and she's been there dozens of times! One of the places we went that she'd never seen was the baby changing room. I felt very pampered getting changed in there--the changing table is polished marble! All of the tiles in the bathroom are white marble with green in between. The white ones have a V&A on them--it was REALLY fancy. Mummy said she wants her bathroom to look like that someday, except have a D&J. I think that's a good idea!

We were pretty tired after that, so Mummy and Daddy found a bench and sat down. I got a bottle and that put me right to sleep! I'm telling you--there are lots of great places to sleep and eat in London.

After the museum, we looked outside and saw that it had stopped raining! We stopped at the Hyde Park Chapel and then Mummy said she really wanted me to meet Peter Pan, so we headed back to the park. This time, it was to Kensington Gardens. 

Peter Pan was so cool! We were lucky that there weren't a lot of people around, so got to touch the animals and talk to Peter all by myself.

Look at me! I can fly!!

I was hungry again after that (naturally), so Daddy and I sat by the Long Water and had some dinner. Well, I had dinner, anyway.

While I was eating, the craziest thing happened! The tree that was right above us decided that I needed a branch full of beautiful yellow leaves to play with. So, it dropped one right next to me in my stroller. Thanks, tree!!

I pulled of the leaves and examined them one by one. Every leaf is different, did you know that? Then I chewed on the branch. Mummy and Daddy were nice enough to let me do that. I know lots of Mummy and Daddy's aren't that cool.

After that, we went to get dinner for Mum and Dad at a place called Whole Foods. Then, we headed back to Kings' Cross Station, tried to get in to Hogwarts (see my previous post about that), then headed home. 

I was exhausted after such a long day! Mummy gave me a nice bottle on the train and snuggled up with me. The train was very full, though, with lots of interesting people to watch. So, I ate my bottle and kept myself awake. 

Overall, I really enjoyed London. I can see why Mummy loves it so much and why she talks about it all the time. I can't wait to go back!!

Didn't Get My Owl...

I'm not 11 yet. I tried to tell Mum and Daddy that going to King's Cross Station and trying to get through Platform 9 3/4 wasn't going to work--my owl hasn't come yet! But Mummy insisted. She said it just HAD to work! It didn't.

We tried though--our Trolley got 1/2 way through the wall before it got stuck. Another wizard that walked by just shook his head-- 10 1/2 more years he said.

After we got stuck, Mummy decided we should go to the Harry Potter store that was just around the corner.

I got to hold Harry Potter's wand! It was so cool but it knew I wasn't Harry Potter--so I threw it on the floor.

Punting Today

We all went punting again today. The sun was shining and it wasn't very cold outside, so Mum and Daddy decided we'd better go before it rains again this weekend. Since we have an annual pass, I agreed it was a good idea.

Today, Mum brought some bread and we fed the ducks! They swam really close to the punt, which I really liked but it made Mummy nervous: sometimes I like to hold on to the side of the punt when we go down the river and she thought that was a bit close to the ducks beaks. I thought it was fine.

When we go punting, I usually get to play with toys or with the blue mat that Mum and I sit on. Mum likes to keep me in between her legs where I can't get in to too much trouble. Sometimes I get frustrated because she holds on to the back of my coat so I can't grab the wooden slats on the bottom of the boat.

Daddy, of course, stands up on the end of the punt and gets us up and down the river. Today, we went all the way from Scudamore's past Magdalene College! That's as far as you can go on the Backs.

Mummy said today was especially nice because of all the beautiful colors of leaves. She says it's called "Fall" in the United States, but everyone here says it's "Autumn."

Afraid

I'm usually very brave. It takes a lot to get me scared. Daddy holds me upside down, Mummy jumps out from behind a pillow and shouts boo--I laugh in the face of danger. Ha ha ha ha!

 But Mum and Daddy found something really scary at the grocery store.

After a little while, I was ok with touching the bag myself. Mummy held me and let me touch it, and then Daddy sat down with me and let me bang on the bag. That helped a lot! But I still don't like it when they pick it up and it makes that really creepy crinkly noise!

New Blocks

Mum bought me some new blocks! They all  bright colors and different shapes. So far, I like the ones shaped like an arch the best.

I like to help Mummy hold the camera. :)

Siren

Sometimes when people walk in front of us on the footpaths they walk slow.

Yesterday, when Mummy and I were on our way to buy food at Sainsbury's, we had 3 slow people walking in front of us. They just wouldn't get out of the way! I could tell that Mum was getting frustrated, but that she didn't want to say anything to them.

So I did.

I remembered watching all of the cars get out of the way for Police when they have their loud sirens on, so I thought I'd do the same thing. I grabbed the tray on my buggy, pulled myself up straight, and gave my best imitation of a siren. "Blahh!!" I yelled as loud as I could.

They turned around, saw me, and got right out of the way.

I was pretty pleased with myself. I sat back against my buggy backrest and quietly congratulated myself (at least loud enough for Mum to hear as well).

Mum apologized to the people as we went by (that's the British thing to do, I guess), but I could tell she was really pleased with me.

This is how I sit up when I want to look around at things. Or yell at people. 

Digestives

Ok, I know the name makes it sound disgusting...but Digestives are DELICIOUS. They're a yummy biscuit and Mummy always gets the kind with chocolate on one side (of course).

Mum and Daddy let me have one for the first time today!

YUMMY YUMMY YUMMY!!!

Granchester Meadows

We walked out to Granchester Meadows today. There were a lot of people on the path--Daddy said a lot of colleges had an organized "walk to Granchester" for tea today since it's Sunday. We just wanted to go for a walk and be outside in the sunny weather.

I fell asleep just as we reached the actual meadows. Mum and Daddy found a nice spot of grass near the Cam to spread the blanket out on, and I slept in my buggy (Mum says that's what the British people call it).

On the way there, we saw some sheep!

Granchester Meadows is really pretty and green right now.

 I really like to pull pieces of grass up onto the blanket. Daddy was helping me.

On the way home, we went through a "kissing gate". Mum gave Daddy a kiss! Ew...

Sometimes I look really serious when I'm in my stroller.

We stopped at the Causewayside Park and played on the swing for a minute. It was so much fun!