Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek
Because of our friend's sudden, unexpected death and my Hubby's lengthy work hours, our summer holiday nearly slipped by unnoticed like last year's-- the summer from Hades while the Hubby was deployed.
Determined to not have "Parent's Remorse" on the first day of school this term (you know that feeling, when the children who drove you absolutely insane for six weeks enter the building and you're left standing there alone in the deafening silence wondering where the time went), we forced them to go to castles, a neolithic flint mine, a medieval war reenactment and the very last day of their break, a boat ride on the Norfolk Broads.
I did say when we moved here that I wanted to ride on the broads before we left. Every time I crossed a bridge in the Norwich area, I restated that goal.
Monday (Labor Day to you, nothing over here), we hopped on a boat and toured the broads. The first two hours were fun for the kids. 
The second two hours (I know, what moron sticks her young children on a four-hour saunter down a river?) weren't so much so. They were tired, coming off a sugar high (they had pocket change and the boat sold sweets) and itching to get home to kick a football around with their friends. But I'm glad we did it.
I'm hoping the kids will have selective memories.With 40 (or so) photos of smiles and giggles I hope they will remember the last day of their summer holiday as one spent with the parents who love them and boating through the beautiful English countryside.
Look at the smile on Miss Ky! And the weather looks PERFECT. Yay for you, having a summer after all!
ReplyDeletesounds like a great day!!!
ReplyDeleteI know that Mother's Remorse, and don't like it.
ReplyDeleteIf your kids don't remember the awesome places they go and things they do, they deserve to go back to school.
Oh they will remember it! I love that last shot!
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ReplyDeletewhat a great "last hurrah" to the summer holiday for you guys. how fun....even if the last few hours weren't the most happiest for your kidd-os! :)
ReplyDeletebeautiful pictures and WHAT SCENERY!!!
Mother's remorse is not my friend. And yet it stays and wears out its welcome all the time around here.
ReplyDeleteI am more than certain that your kids will remember that day as a WONDERFUL one. And I love the pictures.
I'm so sorry about your friend. I feel like a really crappy internet friend for not knowing about it before. That kind of thing just makes me feel sick and I am never ready for the way it forces me to reflect on things. And oh, I am so sad for his wife.
XO
Looks like you had a lovely day. Great photos and the weather looks good. What more can you ask for?
ReplyDeleteNo Mamma's remorse here. When local school's get back into session our homeschooling family heads out on the road for holiday time. Fewer crowds! : ) When we visited the Grand Canyon about 4 years ago it was like a homeschool convention. Our kids had tons of other kids to meet, to study the flora and fauna with, to compare stories of how their mom's "barfed" on the helicopter flight through the canyon... (Yup! What can I say? The pilot had really bad BO and there was like NO ventilation! Gag!)
ReplyDeleteSounds like you picked a wonderful end-of-holiday activity. I'm busy writing down all these lovely things "to do" when I finally hop over the pond. Bucolic and beautiful! Thanks for sharing. : )
p.s.
Have you a "best of" post for English travel?
Such a beautiful place! The photos are lovely! And yes, I think the kids will thank you when they are older! Don't they always!? lol!
ReplyDeleteThat looks beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThis looks like such a fun day! A nice way to celebrate summer!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely way to spend four hours! (Maybe not with the kids, but...) I'm sure they'll look back and appreciate it one day.
ReplyDeleteThat looks like fun, even if it was too long a ride. Gorgeous place!
ReplyDeleteHow great. And noone fell in. Always a bonus.
ReplyDeleteWell, the pictures sure do look rosey. Especially that last one.
ReplyDeleteWe did the same type of cram-all-the-fun-you-can-into-one-last-weekend thing here too. It was exhausting. I'm still recovering. ;)
They will remember but it will be meaningless until they are about forty!
ReplyDeleteI just adore these shots and that babies smile. They will remember...someday.
ReplyDelete*le sigh*
That is perfection my friend!
I would love to take my family abroad. I hope you're enjoying the whole experience. It sounds like you are.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to hear about your friend's passing.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you had a great time boating thru the countryside - what an amazing adventure.
The kids will remember this fondly. Eventually. I am so proud of you, for forcing your kids to get something productive from their summer! You're my kind of parent! (I'm the one that has to stop and read all the historical markers along the roadside -- it's important, people!)
ReplyDeleteI'm sure they will remember. I have loved reading about your weekends. I hope I can share as much with mine as you do with yours.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a wonderful time and that last shot is beautiful and communicates a lot.
ReplyDeleteThey will remember it as a great day for sure. The Norfolk Broads is Swallows and Amazon territory isn't it? I would love to do boating round there and see if I recognised stuff from those books, I used to love them.
ReplyDeleteI love the first two shots and your kids look like they had fun. I'm sure they will remember fondly.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry to hear about the passing of your friend. He looks far too young.
ReplyDeleteGlad you took the kids on an adventure before school started back. I probably should have done something like that with mine, but I gotta be honest...they were as happy to be rid of me as I was to be rid of them this year. LOL I'm kidding - we had a great summer and did a lot of stuff, but it's been good to slow down and relax now that they're back in school. I'm learning to BREATHE again. lol
Kari
Kids are really good about remembering fun times, really they are. They also are good at forgetting the bad. I'm sure this trip will be a good memory for them. I'm glad you could find a bit of time to vacation together as a family.
ReplyDeleteLovely photos!
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry about your friend... how sad.
I think they will thank you one day for taking them places they probably won't see again.
ReplyDeleteThey will remember only the good, I PROMISE. It's wonderful you do things like that with them. And not everything has to be "for" or "about" them, but family time. They'll treasure it. When I was a kid we would go to steam engine exhibits. STEAM ENGINES! I couldn't have cared less. I remember being bored out of my mind. But the memories of those kinds of weekends are a treasure to me.
ReplyDeleteI come here for a few gigles and now I'm bawling just like I did when each kid had their first day of school. I know you meant well. So, can you tell me how to stop crying because I miss my babies being babies? I want to do it all over again...
ReplyDeleteI'm leaving now because your music is also making me cry. Again... not your fault you have such splendid taste in music.