Grandma Comes to Visit!

 

     Last week, Grandma Hamilton came to visit!  It was most exiciting.  However, on Memorial Day, which was the day before she came, something unexpectd happened:  Eleanor crashed on her bike, and fractured her lower right arm.  She was going on a bike ride with Daddy, somthing that hardly ever happens because Daddy is very busy.  We had to go to a park, which was a few miles from our house, for a church BBQ.  Tim decided to take Samuel, Georgiana and Eleanor on their bikes to the park, and then I would follow on later with Abigail, Imogen and Verity.  Less than a mile into the bike ride, Eleanor was going very fast down a hill, ran into a parked car on the road, and went tumbling off head over heels.  She ended up with her arm in a very pink cast:

 

     My mother came the next day.  There was lots going on because it was the last week of school for the kids, but we tried to show her a good time.  We took her to the Mormon Battalion Visitor's Center, which tells the story of how the Mormon Pioneers were drafted by the US military to fight in a war against Mexico.  The pioneers ended up walking from Iowa down to Santa Fe, and then over to San Diego.  They built a road along the way, which would end up being a major route across the southwestern United States.  Anyway, the center is beautiful and the whole thing is very nicely done. 

Grandma, Nelly and Verity with a Mormon soldier at the Mormon Battalion

      The next day we went to a little town called Julian, which is up in the mountains in northeast San Diego county.  It started as a mining town, and it is still very small and quaint.  It's a sort of swanky wild west town.  They still have a mine there that you can visit, so we went with Eleanor's home school on a field trip to the mine.  First, the girls panned for gold, and there were real gold flakes in the silt they were sifting:

Then, we went on a tour down in the mine itself.  Our tour guide was straight out of a wild west movie.  He had a long white beard and a broad-rimmed hat. Here he is in the 'hoist room':

There were many tunnels, of course, it being mine:

Out of the mine, we got to see an old mine cart, just like in the Indiana Jones movie:





 

     After the mine experience, we went returned to the front of the mine, and saw this antique merry-go-round.  I had never seen the kind of animals on a merry-go-round that this one had, so I just had to share. 

 

 

First, we have a fish.

 

A pig, named Ruby

 

A hare, just like in 'The tortoise and the hare'.

 

And a frog

 

     Then, we explored the town of Julian.  Here are a few pictures, just to give an idea of the place:

 

Main Street, Julian

Apparently Julian is famous for its apple pies.



This sign says it all, don't you think?

 

     We had fun exploring the little shops.  I got some homemade soap (I'm a bit obessed with that stuff for some reason), some hot pepper jelly (another obsession), and the girls and I were sure to visit the old-fashioned candy store.

     On Saturday, we took my mother to the beach.  Although the beach is about 45 minutes away, Tim insisted, because apparently my mother has only been to the beach about four times in her life.  So, here we are.  The kids had a great day. The water was incredibly warm.  Even I was comfortable with it.

 

 

     On Saturday night, I took my mother, Imogen, and Georgiana to see Abigail's end of year chior concert.  It was all Broadway music, so it was fab.  Abigail sang a little solo; she sang the beginning bit of 'Anything Goes.'  She was also in a song from Moulin Rouge.

 

Moulin Rouge Song

 

Abigail on the red carpet!
 

     The next week was the last week of school.  Imogen, who is finishing 8th grade, had something called 'Promotion'.  Apparently it is a ceremony to mark the end of junior high, and send the kids off happy and confident into the high school. 

     Promotion is new to me.  We didn't do it when I was a teenager. And then I moved to England, so I missed out on lots of developments here.  I don't think its completely necessary, but it is a nice gesture.

     Here's Imogen on her Promotion day, looking elegant as always:

 

 

 

      And, now, school is out, and summer is here!  My kids have never had a long American summer vacation, so this is all very exciting.  They are either going to love it, or die of boredom.    Watch this space.