Grandma Debi arrives!

At long last my Mom (aka Grandma Debi) arrived today (Fri 25th Oct)! We had been looking forward to this date for the past several months and counting down the weeks, days, and finally hours until her arrival.
The first thing we did was go straight to the dojo to watch Tryfan complete his grading for the next level of taekwondo (he was going for his green stripe belt).

Excitedly running back to his seat ready for the start

They had to perform the set sequence of 21 moves and then answer some questions about the history and values of taekwondo. Tryfan did really well and would learn later that he did pass this assessment.

Tryfan mid-kick during his grading

 We came home and had pizza for dinner, ready to start the weekend with Tryfan's birthday party tomorrow.

Biiiig hug from Tryfan

Happy scene on the couch with Eli

 We are so very happy that Grandma is here for the next 10 days. Thank you for coming all this way, Mom!

Forest plays

Today was the last day of Forest School for Tryfan's class before the half term holiday. Since they were learning about Guy Fawkes and the history of Bonfire Night (5 November), we decided to have a bonfire ourselves and act out the story of Guy Fawkes in groups of 4-5 children. It was a massive success and a perfect way to end the term.

Tryfan turns 6

Tryfan is a big 6 year old now. His birthday was yesterday but Rhodri was away for the weekend so we had already planned to celebrate next weekend. First we went out to dinner on Thursday night at La Casa. Tryfan was absolutely horrified when the staff put on a Happy Birthday song and banged some pots and pans on his behalf.

We tried to make his actual day (Saturday) a bit special too. Rhiannon and I gave him some presents this morning and then we went for an expedition in the forest with Lou and Arnold, then stayed home and played all afternoon before having dinner at our neighbor's house.

Arnold wearing Tryfan's Spyro costume, with R&T

Tryfan was really excited to get a Spyro Skylander dressing up costume as well as the Skylander figure called Ninjini.

Skylanders and Lego ships preparing to attack Mr Monkey and the Baby Deer!

On Sunday we got together with Bruno and Cat and went to see the movie Turbo in 3D. We had been looking forward to this for a couple of weeks so it was extra fun. And we ended up seeing Sophie and Oscar at the cinema as well by coincidence, so after the movie we all went to play at the park for a bit. Afterwards, we all went grocery shopping and then back to our house for a late lunch and play. Good times!

Ready to see Turbo 3D

And so, at 6 years old, Tryfan :

• is very snuggly and cuddly
• is really good with numbers, often playing with them in his head and then sharing some pattern he has found or summation he has done
• is a really good reader, sometimes immersed for hours with his nose in a chapter book
• is very focused on things when he is doing them
• loves doing taekwondo (as seen in his pose!)
• wants to be a faster runner
• talks about Skylanders or Lego Chima characters all the time
• loves playing computer games (at other people's houses)
• gets very upset at injustice
• is still not a big fan of crowds
• loves Bentley and the kittens and also his family

Recent reunions and farewells

Over the past week or so, we've had a couple of reunions with old friends which have been great!

First we saw my old manager Craig and his family Libbie, Kyra and Oliver. They moved back to Australia last year but were passing through the UK last week so we met them at a pub for dinner and caught up on gossip and adventure stories.

Then last Thursday I went straight from work into London and had dinner with my long lost friend Dave! Ok, he isn't really lost but he is a longtime friend and it was really great to spend time with him. No photos to mark the occasion though. Next time! We've been missing each other - they moved to San Diego when we were in Reno, then they moved to the UK when we moved to San Diego, then they moved to Washington DC when we moved to the UK and finally they have moved back to the UK so we are living near each other at last! We vowed to reunite more often before one of us moves away again.

And speaking of moving away, my friend Deanne (her son Josh is in Rhiannon's class) is moving to India in a couple of weeks so we had a farewell evening for her at the Coach and Horses on Tuesday night this week. There were about 15 ladies from the school who came out to mark the occasion and it turned into a really late (but fun!) night. I guess we'll have to get over to visit them in Mumbai one of these days...

Tomorrow is Tryfan's birthday and we haven't planned too much for tomorrow itself since Rhodri is away and T's birthday party will be next weekend, but I'm sure we'll figure something out.

Bathtime for Bents

Today dawned with the most crystal-clear, gorgeous autumn weather so we went for a lovely walk on the top of the forest. When we got home, Rhodri and the kids put Bents into the bath and gave him a good scrubbing. Bentley has been getting a little bit rank lately - not bad smelling, just very doggie smelling.

I love this photo!!

The forgotten bike commute

I've been so far behind lately, I had forgotten to post about the bike ride that the kids and I did one day in September: we rode TO school on the 2nd day of the school year (Thurs Sept 5th).

Getting ready to set out for school

We left plenty early and it was fortunately a gorgeous day that ended up being really hot actually!

In action riding down Tanyard Lane

Blackberry break along the way

 It turns out that it is about 1.25 miles, mostly downhill, from our house to where we left the bikes near school. The last part of it is totally off road down an overgrown bracken-and-brambles footpath!

Dodging spiky brambles and stinging nettles on the final stretch

We made it with plenty of time to spare. The kids were SO STOKED to have been able to ride their bikes to school today! In the end they went to a friends house to play after school and so I picked both them and their bikes up so we didn't have ride home uphill in the heat. But it was a really successful commute and I'd love to do it again with them.

Amazing autumn continues

Today we had a really good day.
Cat and B had stayed the night on Friday night which was super fun because we did a lot of crazy dancing and celebrated the start of the weekend. Then on Saturday we had some leisurely hours and I met my friend Lou for a slow walk through the woods looking for mushrooms. It has to be said that this autumn has been phenomenal for fungi! We had a quiet night and then on Sunday we all went for a bike ride on the Cuckoo Trail.

We did the same route we had done in June - from Hellingly up to Horam and then stop at the Wesson's Cafe for a bite to eat before heading back down hill to the car in Hellingly. It was a stunning and clear day with just a gentle nip in the air.

Admiring the motorcycles outside Wesson's

 After we got back to Hellingly, we stopped at the aptly named Cuckoo's Rest pub which has a bouncy castle, trampoline, bar, food, and lots of grass and picnic tables! We had another snack and bev here before heading home.

 Rhiannon and I went for a lovely walk together with her baby "Ashley" that she carried in her Ergobaby carrier. We just walked slowly and chatted and I told her stories from when I was younger. Just on the final home stretch, she had to stop to change Ashley's clothes in the middle of the dirt road we were on.

Changing Ashley's clothes mid-track

 When we got home, Rhods and I played some ping-pong on our fabulous table while the kittens looked on in the evening sun.

Eli and Sugar on top of the chimera in the afternoon sun

 So, all in all, a good weekend!

New baby cousin!

My sister Heidi had a baby girl today! I knew she was due on Sept 27th and so with each passing day of no news, I got more and more anxious but didn't want to call her to ask. So finally this afternoon I called my Mom and it turns out that baby Jordan had been born less than an hour before!

Her official stats are: Jordan Aria Griffith was born at 8:35 AM on Friday, October 4th at Alta Bates Hospital in Berkeley, California. She weighed in at 7 lbs, 4 oz, with a length of 20.5 inches. The delivery was fast and natural. Mom and baby are doing well!

This is a long-awaited arrival and we are all so happy for Heidi and John!

Wish list

Now that October is here, Tryfan is very excited about his upcoming birthday. This morning the kids were up very early sitting in Rhiannon's bed with their little book lights, making a birthday wish list. Tryfan was going through the Argos catalog and spelling out the items he wanted (including prices) so that Rhiannon could write it down for him. So sweet.

What's playing

We've been listening to a lot of country music lately. I'm so proud that the younglings are showing signs of loving country music just like I do! "Independence Day" (Martina McBride), "Bye-Bye" (Jo Dee Messina), "Mud on the Tires" (Brad Paisley) and "Shoulda Been a Cowboy" (Toby Keith) have been firm favorites lately. We've just been really busy with work and school and the routine of the week - taekwondo, gymnastics, and swimming lessons. On the weekends we have been laying low, hanging out with Cat and Bruno a lot, and generally just staying in our 'hood.

On our way to the forest, T and B holding hands, with "Ri-o" walking behind with Cat and me

We've also been hanging out at the village green where we've been kicking the soccer ball around while Bentley chases squirrels.

Bentley keeping watch over the village green (which isn't too green!)

Rhiannon whittling at the edge of the green by the fire pit

It is starting to feel a little bit autumnal, though temperatures have been really mild - 15-21 C (60-70 F) and we haven't had very much rain at all. What a gift to have such a lovely September after the fabulous summer we had.

Pet dynamics

Eli curled up with Bentley

The kittens love Bentley, but Bentley does not love the kittens.  He sometimes tolerates them, or at least he tolerates Eli.

The other day Bentley was laying on his bed in the living room and Sugar came around purring and trying to snuggle him. He growled, got up, and moved locations but Sugar followed. This went on for about 30 minutes before he finally barked at her and she shot off in a flash.

Sometimes (especially at night), the kittens gang up on Bentley and he chases them around the house in a playful way. So maybe he is warming up to them, but he sure seems to be annoyed by them most of the time!

Sugar under the ping pong table

Eli in hunting mode

The kittens have also not been using their litter box each and every time they need to 'go'! Rhodri is totally not impressed, as he has taken the brunt of the accident clean-ups lately. Luckily he had a [BIG] birthday last week, so we jokingly got him a 2nd litter box along with some air fresheners and candles and other litter box accessories. Good thing Rhods has a sense of humor!

School year begins

After arriving home just before midnight last night, today was the first day back to school.
Nain had generously washed and ironed all of their school uniforms so the troops were ready to go first thing!

Sitting with Nain at the school playground before the bell rung

Amongst giants

It was a beautiful drive from Linthal to Grindelwald which took just over 4 hours

We kept coming around corners expecting to see the giants of Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau

Just around the corner is Grindelwald

We pulled into town, found our hotel straight away and bought some train tickets from the hotel owner so that we could make the most of our short stay in Grindelwald. Our hotel is just behind the train and it is such a lovely little place!

View from our room up to the Eiger

We took the train up to Kleine Scheidegg and then walked around up to Eigergletscher while staring in awe and the incredible mountains!

In front of the Eiger 

Mandatory self-take

We had dinner at this restaurant in Grindelwald while watching the Eiger turn pink in the sunset light

The next morning we took the first train up to Kleine Scheidegg and then continued up to the station at the top of the ridge.

This is the final stop on the train

The Jungfraujoch railway goes actually inside of the Eiger and there are 2 places which have these big windows looking out to the world. There is also a doorway called Stollenloch that we spent lots of time looking for while on the train and eventually saw very quickly as we sped past.

Inside the Eiger

 Its pretty awesome up on the "Top of Europe". It was cold in some spots but a lovely day so on the sheltered side of the station it was actually pretty warm.

We stayed up there just looking around, trying to spot people climbing the glaciers and peaks, then followed the rest of the tour that this station has laid out and headed back down the railway. There were loads of old photos of when the station was built during 1898 - 1912, which were really cool. And then there was a sort of cheesy but cool (ha ha) ice palace that we glided through....

We spent as long as we could up at the top and then took the train back down to Eigergletscher and walked the Eiger Trail (#36 on map below) which goes along the base of the face back down Alpiglen before riding the rest of the way back to Grindelwald. 

Map showing train route (red) and paths (black).

We figured we needed 3 hours to drive from Grindelwald to Zurich airport so that we could return the rental car and I could fly home. But first we used the hotel's spa facilities to relax and clean off before traveling again...

Hotel Caprice's "Wellness Spa"

We said goodbye at the airport - Rhodri was going off to meet his friends and ride their bicycles over some of the Tour de France route in the French alps and I flew home so that I could take the kids to their first day of school tomorrow! Nain and Taid have been staying with them this whole time. (Thank you both SO much for this!)

Braunwald days

We were both a little sore and tired after our big day on Aug 31st. But as we still had a few days left before I needed to fly back, we made the most of our time in the beautiful mountains.

We hiked to Ortstock but not all the way to the top

This was my favorite wildflower - I called it the Bedhead flower

On the 1st of September, the forecast was for rain all day but we decided to go for a long hike anyway. We were so, so happy that the weather turned out to be not as bad as predicted where we were walking. There were a lot of clouds around, whooshing up from the valley floor and making swirls around us, making the mountains disappear and partially reappear for some moments before being swallowed again and then blasted by fierce bright sunlight. It was so, so beautiful.

 We got to the little knob at the saddle so we could look over into the other valley, and then reluctantly decided to not go to the summit but to head back. It was already 2:40pm and the last gondola down the mountain from Gumen was at 5:30pm so we really hurried to get back in time for that!

We glissaded down the snow field and it was really fun, though hard work.

 By the time we were on the home stretch of the trail, it was raining hard and steadily for the last 30 minutes or so. We were happy to be able to just hop into a fully enclosed gondola and ride back down to the path that would take us back to our lovely hotel.

Inside the gondola

Our lovely dining table at the hotel, with the terrace overlooking the mountains and valley outside

 The next morning we got an early(ish) start so we could drive all the way to Grindelwald.

View from the dining table window at breakfast

 It was sad to leave this place - the owner and the rest of the staff were so wonderful.

View of the fabulous "Alexander's Todiblick Hotel"

But we got on the funicular and went back down to our rental car in Linthal, and headed for new terrain and even bigger mountains.