Day Five: And we'll never be royals (royals) It don't run in our blood.

Today we decided last minute to just jump on the Tube and go see some of the main attractions around town. We had gone to Tagg's school and picked up his admissions papers to fill out and it took all of 2.2 seconds, and since we didn't have anything else really planned, we were thought we would be super spontaneous and take the kids down to see Big Ben! Because we can, we live in London now!

Getting out of the tube station and looking up and seeing Big Ben for the first time was just plain awesome. Fullstop. Like most things in life, it was so much cooler to see it in person. It is huge. It is ornate, and it is just super cool. Yes I thought just maybe we might see Peter Pan or Mary Poppins flying by...it is just that magical.

Our family and Big Ben.

Big Ben and parliament.

After gawking at Big Ben for a while we walked down the street to where Westminster Abbey is. Now, if you know me at all you know I am slightly royal crazy. Just a tad. Seeing Westminster Abbey where Princess Diana's funeral took place AND where Kate married Prince William...it was a royal nutball like me dream come true! It is so huge and magnificent and detailed and beautiful. They sure know how to make grand churches here in Europe!

Four cute guys and an old Abbey...

Big Ben peeking through and Westminster Abbey.

Even Tate was loving Westminster Abbey!

Richard the Lionheart...no not really, but that'd be cool!

We walked along St. James Gardens which of course are amazing and beautiful. Todd and I have marveled that even though London is such a busy bustling city and so massive, there are these expansive parks everywhere which make if feel much less crowded and more sprawling and beautiful. Aren't the daffodils so pretty and happy?

After a short walk through the park, we came to these humble and inconspicuous gates leading to Buckingham Palace...

Buckingham Palace is just as fabulous as in all the movies, pictures, etc. I am not kidding when I say that I was secretly born to be British. I have loved all things english since a young age, and I remember wanting to look through all those dumb tabloid magazines when I was very young just because Princess Diana was on the cover. So to be here in the heart of it all, is really such a dream. I also LOVE the history of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, hence I love this monument...

Some more plain and simple gates...and unkempt gardens.

Seriously cannot wait for all these trees to get their leaves...

And yet again, boring and homely gates...you think they would try to spruce up the place a little!

Tagg is obsessed with all things shiny, strange but true, and so he HAD to go touch those gates to see if they were made out of real gold!

Tate was completely zonked out in some these pictures, but we want him in all the pictures we can, so that even though he won't remember this experience as he gets older we can show him these pictures and say, "See you were there! Even if you were sleeping during half of it, it still counts!"

Our family in front of the palace...even though I came here last month house hunting, it was so much better to share this with these guys that I love!

The boys LOVED watching the Queen's guards and were fascinated by all the exaggerated marching. Tagg told me that even though they stay pretty still, they still blink, which I guess he was disappointed in. We will have to come back someday soon at 11:00am because that is when they do the changing of the guards and the boys would really love it.

And after we had hit some of those very British sights, we decided that we needed to get some more American back in our lives and so we headed over to McDonalds for lunch! Uh, yep I am serious, and no I really don't know what we were thinking!! I mean for reals? We are in Europe. Oh well, the kids loved it.

Yep, it's the same wherever you go!

This boy is getting way too old for his own good!

After lunch we headed over to Kensington Palace because I had a playdate with Kate that I just couldn't miss! No, but seriously Kensington Palace is so beautiful right on the edge of the Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park. Gorgeous, expansive, lush park once again. I am seeing a common thread here.

You can even go into the palace and look around and read all about it, all who lived there, and visit a little palace shop that sells princess dresses for little girls. Too cute. I will be back soon when the older boys are in school and Tate and I can go in and really explore. And maybe we just might run into Kate and George out for their morning walk! And then we would become BFF's and spend our days shopping on Kensington High Street and sipping tea (herbal for me) and laughing our heads off!

In the corner of Kensington Gardens there is a childrens play area dedicated to the memory of the late and beautiful Princess Diana. I just had to go see it, and have the boys play there!

At the entrance...the park is a Peter Pan theme...

Captain Hook's Ship...could you even imagine something like this in the states for kids to play on?!

No way, Jose! Kids were literally climbing up to the top of those sales! I was dying laughing.

But SO cute...

The Indian Teepees.

Tagg climbing up the play equipment.

The Lost Boys...

Tagg quickly made friends with a bunch of little british boys and I sat on the lawn with Tate and Todd just enjoying listening to their accents while they played. Little kids with accents are the cutest.

We stayed and let the boys play until it was dusk and then took the Tube home. It was another great adventure day. We came home and ordered Thai food and it was probably some of the best Thai food I've ever had. Yum.

Now off to bed, need to rest for whatever tomorrow brings.