Salt Dough Poppies

The BBC had a news clip about the two minute silence around the country including at the poppies at The Tower of London where we were yesterday.  I showed the children this morning as well as a video of how the ceramic poppies were made.

Inspired, The Boy had a go at making some of his own out of salt dough.  

The girls worked on their own designs for art installations to commemorate the centenary of the start World War I

Monkey Girl designed a brick house with the name of each British Military Fatality carved on the bricks.  She used Google Earth to find a suitable temporary home for her structure in London.

Panda Girl designed a poppy and casualty numbers, with the idea that it could be illuminated onto Buckingham Palace at night.

They did some lovely work this morning and it rounded off our trip to London rather nicely.

After a chat with our elderly neighbour, a game of pool in the garage and outside play with water and old saucepans, the gang worked on Nature Study...

...Spellings...

...Maths...

...and more Maths...

And then Tap, Modern, Gym, Gym and Gym!

Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red

Today is November 11th.  Armistice Day.  This year is also the Centenary of the start of WWI.  It seemed fitting, therefore, to visit the beautiful ceramic poppy memorial at the Tower of London today.

We were there for 11am and the two minutes silence.  It was very poignant.  I can not imagine seeing my son off to war.  How very, very indebted we are to these men.

888, 246 ceramic poppies fill the moat.

888, 246 British Military Fatalities during WWI.

 by John McCrae, May 1915

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

...................................................................................................................................................

We also saw HMS Belfast.

Walked over Tower Bridge.

And saw Monument and Pudding Lane where the Great Fire of London started. Amazing.

Proclamation by Charles II

On London Bridge.

Somehow we made it home in time for The Boy's Football class, Panda Girl's Ballet class and Ballet Girl's and Monkey Girl's Ballet Class.  

My husband who had also spent the day (working) in  London, vacuum-cleaned the entire house, picked up the grocery shop, made the dinner, and washed and dried up.  

Thank you God for my awesome family.

Remembrance Sunday

We had a rather busy weekend.

It began with Friday evening fireworks for Bonfire night for which my two eldest were car park marshals with the Sea Cadets and my two youngest were a willing audience.  

On Saturday morning all four litter picked with the Cadets from the night before, while Mummy hung out and ate cake with Aunty G. 

In the afternoon Ballet Girl spent six hours with the Cadets for drill practice and the other three went to a gymnastics party.

 On Sunday we were up at 6.45am for Mass, followed by two Remembrance Sunday Services involving my RMC Sergeant husband and Sea Cadet daughters. 

The Boy had his second party of the weekend but made it to the afternoon Remembrance Sunday parade to watch his Papa and big sisters showing their respect to the Fallen.

So... on Monday we had a rest day.  The children had a long lie in.

Ballet Girl face painted The Boy

This beautiful pattern was finally finished by Panda Girl, pattern queen.

She hung out with her cuddlies too.

Relaxing.

Helping Mummy make lunch.

Everyone had a haircut, courtesy of Mummy's special sharp scissors ;)

Painting with spices.  Because we can.

Painting with paints.  Because we can.

Here's my author.

Straw art.

Wonderful, tiny cousins.