August marked the end of our summer in America. We wrapped up the archaeological field school, packed up the big van, and drove back up to Massachusetts for a well-earned week of vacation. Maya thought it would be a perfect time to get a well-long fever virus, ugh.
Not ones to let a sick kid keep us down, we set off for a few adventures (albeit closer to home and with lots of drugs on the ready).
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| My mother took this picture of the whole family playing with chalk. Craig and I were possibly having more fun than the baby! |
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| Magnets and pups. |
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| Salisbury Beach Reservation |
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| Sand toys |
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| Here she is feeling a little bit better. Maya is modeling the dress Sarah gave her. |
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| And then we did a little Elton John. |
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| Crocodile rock |
We celebrated our second wedding anniversary while we were home. Mom babysat so that Craig and I could go out for a fancy dinner and then we came home and ate this:
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| The top of our wedding cake. Still looking good after all this time, and it didn't taste half bad either! |
Then it was home again, home again to England. We took a few days to spruce up the house:
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| Maya helped us put together the new footstool. We also finally got a dining table and chairs and a couple new rugs. It looks like we live here! |
Bank holiday weekend is a long weekend for the English folks. We decided to go on a few adventure on our days off.
First, off to the Snibston Discovery Museum
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| Craig made a beach ball hover in the air. Maya was captivated. |
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| Discovery! |
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| Snibston is part local history museum; it describes the coal-mining industry in the town of Coalville, past and present. Here are the old mining buildings. |
Next, we took Pete to Beacon Hill
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| I wanted to take a gag picture of me picking the man in the mountain's nose, but it turns out he's taller than I thought. Plus Pete, who you can't see in this picture, was yanking me down off the rocks by his leash. I had to compromise with a wave. Clearly the way to go here is the smooch picture. Next time.... |
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| Pete, the rock man, and me. |
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| Maya's new thing is to "help" walk the dog. Here she is holding the leash with Craig. |
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| Pete at the bonfire torch getting in touch with his pagan roots. |
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| Licking a mini tree. |
One final trip to Foxton Locks
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| Maya and me by the canal. |
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| Craig and Maya. Action shot of her stuffing her face with puff-its. She had to get her crunch on. |
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| Then we moved on to apples. Maya's life is just one long picnic. |
A little arts and crafts
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| Tortured artist. |