Warwick Castle

I want to jump back to August, before Ava started school. We took a quick overnight trip to Warwick Castle, thanks to our friends the Meekers who watched Jessie. After long drives in the car Ava is always so excited to check in and explore the room. Hotels are almost always the same but Ava gets excited every time! She picks a bed, puts Lamby under the covers and starts unpacking whatever toys she brought. We had a fabulous (but expensive) dinner at TGI Fridays the night before and then spent the whole next day at Warwick Castle. I had previously bought discounted tickets on base but we soon found out that everything else cost money too. Parking, food, entrance into the haunted dungeon, Merlin's Dragon . . . and of course no pictures allowed.

We brought Ava's Belle dress so she could really play princess for the day. Her favorite spot was the Princess Tower, where she met real life princesses and was able to take a special magical pea home to put under her mattress.

Dave loved the Haunted Dungeon, but it was not for little kids so Ava and I explored other places while he was being scared to death. It was 2 full days of FUN with our little Princess Ruby.

Meeting "real life" Princesses and Knights

Ava living the life of luxury

We called this the Witches Cauldron

Battle Enactments

Quick child's game of "Chuck the Rat through the Hole"

Sesame Street visits Mildenhall England

The USO puts on a fabulous show for kids and travels around from base to base every couple of years. I took Ava to the Ramstein showing in 2009, she was almost 2 and had a fun time but I don't think she knew a whole lot of what was happening. This year the USO came to Mildenhall with a new story line of:

"PCSing to a new base is hard, but you can make new friends and keep the old."

This time Ava knew all the characters and LOVED the show. She was dancing, singing, playing with her Elmo spinner and worked up a good sweat over the 40 minute show. I'm so glad Dave was able to come this time with us. It's more fun with the whole family!

Fun at the Park

Bury St Edmunds Abby Gardens puts a lot of hard work into their grounds. I took Mom, Dad and Grandma in June but it wasn't in full bloom yet. In September we went for lunch and then enjoyed the gardens and new children's park. It was a beautiful/hot day. Ava loves that the new park isn't just swings and slides, they have a huge sand pit and water pump with a tree house and rope bridge. Because of a full stomach and the hot weather I mostly just sat and watched the fun, which lead to a deep grass impression on my arm. It's lazy days like this that make me cherish the moments we have left as a family of 3! Soon there is going to be a lot more action to attend to.

Ava Starts Pre School

In England, the government gives 15 hours free preschool instruction to all 3 and 4 year olds, even if you're an American citizen. At first I thought Ava was too young and that she should just stay home with me until Kindergarten but after touring the West Row Preschool in April, Ava was hooked! She wanted to start right then and there. So we used the promise of going to school as incentive for her to potty train and by mid summer she was a pro. I signed her up and she anxiously waited for September 6th. She attends every day from 12:30 to 3:30, but is a little bummed that she doesn't ride the bus or eat lunch at school (that's what the kids do on Sesamestreet.org) The program is simple and lets the kids pick and play what they want, with guided instruction along the way. Even though it's not technically "school" Ava loves that she can paint, sculpt, glue, cut, glitter and generally get messy (and I don't have to clean it up.) She has already learned a lot of social skills and can write her name with more confidence. I hope she will learn to play with other children and less by herself but that can only come with time.

September 6th, first day of school lunch

Pizza, Watermelon and Lemon aid

She had waited all summer for this day

I don't think she could have been any more excited!

Grabbed her name on a yellow Lady bug

And put it under her teachers picture (Miss Emma)

Her sweet little backpack on a hook

To make the day just a little more special we celebrated with a "First Day of School Party."

School work books and pretty colored pens

Get busy Ava, you're a school girl now!

Ava liked all the attention on her first day of school so much, that she told me to take a picture of her on her 2nd day of school!