Kensington Palace

In front of the gates of Kensington Palace

On our way to the palace, posing in front of the Edgware Tube stop sign with Annie, and friend Jamie

Alexandra patiently waits for the train while munching some pretzels

We got an empty car all to ourselves on the tube

Feeding the ducks, pigeons and swans at the Serpentine Gallery in front of Kensington Palace. I think Alexandra's entire lunch went to feeding them all.

In front of Queen Victoria herself in the front of the palace.

Checking out the ballroom inside the palace

House of cards - Trying to keep Alex from touching it was a nightmare!

One of Queen Victoria's lovely dresses. I don't know how you would fit through any door! We also saw many of Queen Victoria's black dresses that she wore after the death of her husband Albert. She never got over his death and wore black for 40 years (the rest of her life) to remember him.

Learning a Victorian dance and how to curtsey

The ceiling in the Cupola Room - this was the place for dancing, music and parties.

Sammy, Alexandra and friend Jamie learn to gamble Victorian style. Sammy won the most rounds and was given a special referral card to the library where the royal librarian gave her a job as a Royal Poetess. She was to be paid 5 pounds a year and a small pig at Christmas but she decided she did not want the pig, only the money. She was then given an official Poet card from her majesty the Queen (Victoria that is.)

While Sammy and Alex were gambling, Abby was learning the finer points of the court. She had to walk tall like a proper lady while balancing a book on her head. She did well.

The view out to the Serpentine Gallery from one of the ballrooms.

Trying on Royal Knights' uniforms

Playing in the royal nursery where Queen Victoria played. The Queen was born in Kensington Palace in May 1819 and lived there until she became Queen. Victoria learned to crawl on a yellow carpet that was laid out for exactly that purpose.

A painting of Queen Victoria and her daughter Victoria hanging in the royal nursery

Queen Victoria

The official record states that Queen Victoria was 4 feet 11 inches. Here is one of here dresses. She does seem very short standing next to what would have been her husband Albert!

And lastly, a picture of the gardens in the winter. They are not as lovely as they would be in the spring or summer but still nice to see. We had a lovely day at the palace. Abby's favorite part was learning about Princess Diana who lived in this palace from 1983 to 1997. Since we have come home, she has read an entire book on her. Sammy loved the gambling games and making flowers and tiles and Alexandra just loved riding the train and feeding the birds...

Scandalous!!!

Charles and I went into Abby and Sammy's bedroom recently to tuck them in bed, and were shocked to find this scandalous scene. Yes, that is Prince William with a bunch of scantily clad women partying it up downstairs while poor Kate sits alone on her bunk-bed upstairs oblivious of the disgraceful display going on just one floor beneath her.

Wait until the tabloids get a hold of these pictures....

Let's get a closer look....Look at that ridiculous smile on his face...

Poor Kate. Men are Pigs! Happy Valentine's Day!!!

In The Garden of Beasts

I have not posted anything on my blog for a while because I have been too busy reading THIS fabulous book!  To see the NY Times review on it, click here. This is a fresh perspective on Hitler's rise to power from the eyes of American Ambassador William E. Dodd and his twenty-something daughter, Martha. Ambassador Dodd is assigned to Germany in 1933, where he thinks he will find peace and quiet to finish his project on the American South. However, he eventually finds himself standing on his own trying to convince the mostly indifferent United States government of the perils of the new German government. It is interesting to follow his flamboyant daughter Martha as she is at first in awe of the Third Reich and proceeds to have affairs with many of them as well as a Russian or two but then eventually realizes the brutality of them all. This book definitely goes on my list of favorite books of all time!

Quick Update

Alexandra got a Peppa Pig scooter for Christmas and Aunt Susi bought her a pig hat. She couldn't be more pig! She still out snorts everyone! She never takes off her hat. She wears it all day long at school and all the teachers think it is so funny! She never takes it off at the gym either. It is so adorable, how attached she is to it. Her Peppa Pig scooter is her other prized possession.  She tells everyone how Santa brought it to her for Christmas.

Abby and Sammy got these cute, warm headbands (from Auntie Susi). They love them and are almost as bad as Alexandra because they rarely take them off either...

Sammy got roller skates for Christmas. Here she is giving them a go on Christmas Day.

Alexandra is really getting the hang of riding a scooter. She can't quite keep up with her sisters though. Alex just started "playgroup" or pre-school. Playgroup is for 2-3 year olds. When she is 4, she will be in Nursery school. She started school at the beginning of January. She goes three days a week.  She loves it and I love that the UK government pays for the whole thing. We don't spend a dime (or ten pence)!

Abby got a Hello Kitty Sewing machine for Christmas that turned out to be a piece of junk. It did not sew at all. It didn't have a bobbin so any sewing it did do would immediately come undone, however, we couldn't even get the needle to move so it was not much use. (Thanks a lot, Santa!) I went out after Christmas and bought a REAL sewing machine that is hot pink! Sammy and Abby made these cute bags all themselves for their first sewing lesson. We are already making plans for all the other projects we are going to make.

This is Bellelis (Bell-ell-iss) or sometimes her name is Bellias (Bell-i-is). I love the names she came up with her new doll. Alex and her doll have outfits that are almost exactly the same. I just need to get some striped tights for Alex. Bellelis is really well behaved and is a great addition to the family. 

Lastly is a picture Sammy painted of her Daddy fixing her new bike she got for Christmas. I thought it was so good, I had to take a picture. At the time, Charles had the bike upside down because he was fixing the pedals. Doesn't Charles look manly in this painting? Is that a hairy chest or just a hairy belly? Nice!

Bethlehem's Buzzin' Part I

Sammy had one of the lead roles in the Nativity play at school this year. The play was called "Bethlehem's Buzzin.'" She was adorable in it. It was the highlight of my year! She had lots of lines to memorize and did it so quickly. She rattled off her lines without a mistake! Here are some pictures of the show and following this post is a video montage of a few highlights from the show as well.

Sammy's character was named Rebecca. She was one of three shopkeepers who were taking advantage of people and trying to make money off them at the beginning but after discovering Jesus, they changed their lives and decided to be better. It was such a cute play.

Sammy did not seem to even notice that she was on stage. She was directing the two other shopkeepers constantly and making sure they were standing in the right place. It was pretty cute. At one point, the shopkeeper in the red hat got annoyed with Sammy bossing him around and telling him where to stand. It was pretty funny!

They sang so many cute songs.

Sammy really gets into it too.

Bethlehem's Buzzin' Part II

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
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More Letters From Syria

Here is another letter from Syria. This is from a friend of mine named Sahar. She and I worked together at Mahjoub House when I was in Damascus in 2001. I had not heard from her and was beginning to worry. This is what she says: 

Dear Joyce;

I'm sorry I did not reply you earlier. Thank you for your message.
First the knitting is made by some women living now in a school (shelter camp) who abandoned their homes. I'm responsible only for the patterns, designs and buying the threads; I made this FB page (Knit for Life) maybe we could sell though it. [ click here to see her Facebook page.]

Me and my family are safe (until now), thanks God. Every day we are in danger. I'm always worry about my husband, he is responsible voluntarily for some shelter schools and drive daily around 100KM through dangerous countryside areas. We also travel to Damascus weekly and bring some purchases for the schools like (electric heaters, covers...).

Yes we are able to get food but the prices became very high. We have a problem since two weeks with the bread because there is shortage in flour and gas oil.

I left my work on 2010 in Damascus, because we moved to Homs on 2010.

Joyce believe what you see, this is only part from what is going on on land.

Finally; please pray for us.

Miss you and hope to be able to see you some day with your lovely daughters.

Love;
Sahar

This photo of my friend Sahar was taken in 2008. She says, "We are not able to make trips and smile like this now.
I added [the photo to Facebook] because we have a bread shortage in Syria."

 

I wish so much that I could do something for the Syrian people. It makes me so sad to watch them suffer. I really hope and pray that 2013 will find peace in Syria.