Europe V. England with the Agnors

We made it off the continent on a discount Spanish airline and ended up crossing central London on the Underground during rush hour. This was probably the most challenging few hours of our trip and I was very happy to have learned from Kara several 'finger play' kind of games to entertain the girls. They handled the crowds and their parents stress remarkably well but we were all very happy to arrive at Craig and Leah's house in time for dinner.














We spent the next few days exploring their neighborhood-- another amazing playground-- and trying to fit in the British meals we'd been craving. Turns out that having fish and chips for lunch and curry for dinner is a bit much.

Mae and Adi delighted in their baby, Charlie, and we appreciated catching up with friends who we've only seen briefly in the last several years.











Then it was back to Heathrow (for the 5th time). Our flight to Denver was delayed for over three hours which seemed miserable at the time, especially because we were on the tarmac, but turned out to be a stroke of luck because the flight was then an overnight for the girls, who slept solidly for several hours. My parents had to pick us up at the airport around midnight but the girls slept a few hours after we arrived home, allowing Dave and I some precious sleep before we were all awake again, reading a stack of books and having a midnight snack. At least this time we knew what to expect and didn't have to worry about waking our hosts!

The two weeks following the trip were more challenging as parents than was the actual event-- along with jet lag, I managed to pick up a cold that swept through the house. Partly because of this and partly because they were in a comfortable environment, it seemed that the girls let out all of the bad behavior they'd been saving up. But it passed and we were always aware that we'd rather have to deal with illness and behavior issues at home rather than abroad!

Now that we've settled back into our Colorado lives, I'm worried that the girls will forget most of their experiences. But it is a delight to hear pieces of our trip come into their play: they ride the train or airplane to London, they go to visit Russia, their cousins are featured as guests and donkeys are commonly (imagined to be) present. They probably won't remember the details when they're older but I know that their relationships with their cousins were fortified and their experiences were broadened. And it was good for us to realize that it is possible to travel, even largely, with small children, although the cost was prohibitive enough to discourage us from practicing this too often.