Postcards from Europe (1)

If you are a regular reader of our journal, Voice, you will recall twins Kit and Hannah from the cover of the March 2010 issue - they were about to embark on the adventure of big school. 

Now they are on another adventure - a holiday to Europe, during which they will turn seven. Their intrepid parents, Shelley and Phil have agreed to keep in touch with an occasional postcard to let us know how travelling with young twins (one of whom has Down syndrome) is going.  Here is the first instalment ... 

We are all having a blast on our holiday.  We are now in sunny Oxford.

London was great, something for everyone. Hannah loved Lady Diana's Memorial Playground the best, it was a great way to start our holiday as we were staying close to it.
It wasn't until we were well and truly in the air en route from Singapore to Heathrow that I began to panic about how two sleep deprived adults were going to cope with 2 six year olds who, while rested (at least they had a reasonable sleep on the plane) would no doubt be jet lagged at nine am when we couldn't access our apartment until two pm! The Kensington Gardens were a lifesaver.
I had been dreading the long flight, it really is a long way from home. It went very well though.
Getting around London (none of us have been before) was remarkably easy. I can see why people love the tube. I didn't realize just how many stairs this place involved nor how fast the locals move but Hannah has been a trooper and coped very well. Such good transport has meant we have been able to keep walking to and from places to a minimum for her and luckily her Dad's shoulders are at the ready.
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It has been quite easy to factor in some down time for the kids. At the British Museum they saw school students sketching artifacts and both wanted to do that too. So that meant they could relax in one spot while Phil and I got to explore the whole space more.

The Tower of London was my favorite and while the stairs were a shocker for Hannah she kept going and even had enough energy for some races on the grassy moat.
A couple of days we have made sure that at least one of us could stay in the apartment with the kids for a couple of hours in the afternoon while they do some craft or watch CBeebies which they have fallen in love with.
I was a little worried with moving her on to new accommodation in Oxford but again the adjustment has been relatively smooth. The next shift is in a couple of days when we go to Paris on the Eurostar.

Regards,
Shelley