Remember, Remember...

Last night, Mummy and Daddy took me to see the fireworks! The 5th of November is Guy Fawkes Day, or Bonfire Night as most British people call it. Do you know who Guy Faweks is? Well, he tried to blow up Parliament in 1605. He and his friends got the gunpowder below the government buildings and everything, but they were discovered!

So to celebrate, people in Britain shoot off fireworks and have huge bonfires!

We went to Midsummer Commons, right by where Daddy rows on the river, to see the fireworks and watch them light the bonfire.

Mummy put me in the tummy pack so I would be warm. I got to go outside in my pajamas, which I hardly ever get to do! When the fireworks went off, I couldn't believe how pretty they were! I just stared up at them for twenty minutes while they exploded in the sky, sending ashes down on the river and the college boathouses that were on the other side from where we were. After a while, I started watching some of the other kids that were around us. There were so many! It was fun to see some other kids in their pajamas--one girl was sitting on her Daddy's shoulders in pink pajamas and red Wellies. She and her Dad laughed every time one of the fireworks made a really loud noise. I liked watching her the best.

When they lit the bonfire, I was getting pretty tired. We stayed to see all of the wood get covered in flames, and then we headed home.

By the time we got home, I had totally crashed. It's exhausting watching so many fireworks!

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."

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!

Punting for the First Time

We went punting the first day we were here in Cambridge. Mum says it's Daddy's favorite thing to do, so of course we had to go.

I was pretty hungry as soon as we got on the punt, so Mum gave me a bottle--that always makes life better! While I was eating, I got to look around at all the buildings and watch the ducks swim by. We even got to see a swan!

Daddy stood up on the end of the punt and used a long pole to push off the bottom of the river. That's how we moved so quickly! There were a lot of other people on the river that were so fun to watch. People come from all over the world to see Daddy's school and to go punting. I thought it was a lot of fun--I can see why!

We went along the river Cam in an area that's called 'The Backs'. They call it that because it's the backsides of the colleges.

The most famous building in Cambridge can be seen from the River Cam: Kings' College Chapel. All I wanted to do was watch the people, but Mum insisted on telling me about the different colleges. I guess that's ok, because then when people come to visit I can tell them all about it. Because of course we will take them punting!

Daddy bought an year long pass at Scrudemores, so we can go punting every day if we want to! I'm excited to go punting when it's snowing outside!