- Waking up in West London. Months ago, I took advantage of Kids Week and booked some theatre tickets for the summer holidays. After a long 9-day run of solo parenting, the children and I finally made it to my mum’s flat on Friday evening where we were reunited with Mr L.A.
- Preparing for some belated birthday celebrations. I turned 33 on the 17th, but Mr L.A. only made it home for a few hours before he had to head off on another shoot.
- Sipping tea in the kitchen.
- Fixing breakfast for the kids.
- Grabbing a quick shower.
- Pulling on a comfortable, sight-seeing appropriate outfit. I’m still deeply in love with the slogan tee I bought from Hush last season and I’ve got my eye on this cute sweat top for Autumn.
- Coaxing the children into their clothes.
- Willing the rain to stop.
- Heading into central london.
- Alighting the tube at Green Park and walking to Buckingham Palace.
- Watching the Queen’s Horse Guards canter past.
- Walking to Westminster.
- Enjoying the look of awe on the children’s faces as the gazed up at Big Ben in the sunshine.
- Pausing for a quick snack before crossing Westminster Bridge.
- Walking along the Thames to my favourite part of London, South Bank.
- Remembering many childhood visits to the same spot and missing my dad in the process.
- Treating the children to a ride on a carousel.
- Popping into Foyles for a browse.
- Buying a book shaped gift for some friends.
- Tucking into a steaming hot bowl of veggie ramen at Wagamama next door.
- Slowly making our way along the river.
- Soaking up the sights and sounds of my favourite city.
- Walking across the Millennium Bridge.
- Admiring the view of St. Paul’s and remembering our pre-wedding shoot with Eliza Claire.
- Jumping on the tube at Mansion House and making our way to Kings Cross.
- Taking Izzy to see Platform 9 3/4.
- Balking at the 1 hour and 20 minute queue for photographs.
- Browsing the Harry Potter store.
- Laughing as Mr L.A. and the children braved a box of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans.
- Strolling around Kings Cross and marvelling at how much it’s changed since I was a child. Where ‘I saw your mum up Kings Cross’ was once a harsh insult, such a statement would now be met with ‘Oh really, whereabouts? Kiehls? Caravan? The Pond Club?’. I feel you regeneration/gentrification.
- Sipping lemonade from Benugo‘s Espresso Truck in Granary Square and waiting for it to rain again.
- Excitedly making our way inside Kings Cross Theatre to see The Railway Children.
- Enjoying the period detail. The foyer had been transformed into a Victorian railway waiting room, complete with piles of luggage and hand painted signs.
- Treating the children to popcorn and a programme.
- Settling into our front row seats.
- Enjoying the play from start to finish. The inventive staging is simply incredible.
- Watching the children react to the arrival of a real steam train.
- Dashing through the rain to Dishoom.
- Embracing our friends before sitting down to eat.
- Drinking a G&T and tucking into all sorts of delicious food. I can highly recommend the okra fries, black daal and tikka paneer.
- Appreciating a kids menu that doesn’t assume all children are fussy, unadventurous eaters. Izzy loved her tikka paneer, Bombay potatoes and slaw.
- Catching up and talking about the future. Our friends are expecting their first baby and I can hardly contain my excitement.
- Grabbing a cheeky nightcap before wandering back to Kings Cross to catch the tube home.
- Smiling as Jesse drifted off to sleep on the Central Line.
- Watching Mr L.A. carry him into the house and lay him down gently on the bed.
- Tucking the children in and retreating to the kitchen for another quick drink before bed.
- Waking up to the sound of my alarm.
- Wishing we didn’t have to go home. Trips to London are never quite long enough.
- Packing up and heading off to Paddington.
- Demolishing a McDonalds’ breakfast.
- Indulging in a copy of Oh Comely magazine for the journey. I’ve never bought it before, but I’ll be asking for a subscription for Christmas. Such an inspiring read.
- Jumping on an earlier train when we realised ours had been cancelled.
- Arriving home in Bristol.
- Slurping a cup of tea as I packed a new suitcase for the kids.
- Welcoming my in-laws at the door.
- Waving off the children as they excitedly embarked on a week away.
- Relishing the peace and quiet.
- Listening to Kate Bush as I took a long soak in a Pomegranate Noir scented bath.
- Drinking tea and eating Maryland Cookies as I composed this blog post.
- Looking forward to a quiet supper for two.
- Listening to Mr L.A. chop ingredients for my favourite one-pot spaghetti.
- Hoping for a seriously productive week with a little bit of child-free relaxation and fun thrown in for good measure.
Love Audrey xxx
