April 3, 2012, Tuesday -- Another day with late morning; we haven't quite adjusted to the time change.  Being away from work and home, my body just wants to sleep all the time.  Today, we took the kids up to Lakeside to the aquarium and a quick run on the Lakeside and Haverthwait Railway, an old steam engine train that resembles Thomas the tank engine of course.  After returning to Gran's house, we took an after dinner walk down on the promenade (a walkway along Morecambe Bay) and then the duck pond.  The extent of landscaping and gardening in the town of Grange Over Sands is non short than incredible; seems like every square inch of this place is beautiful.  Kerrinh's favorite part of the trip was watching the otters play at the aquarium.  Raynna enjoyed the butterfly project she did at the library (folding paper in half over globs of paint and then unfolding the paper to reveal the magic of asymmetry) and viewing the ducks and flowers at the duck pond.  Cedar loved the train ride of course.  Wish I had more photos of the late day, but the camera battery crashed.

 Cedar and Raynna are obsessed with the upside down scarecrow along one of the town walking paths.

  Kerrinh and Raynna had fun swinging in the baby swings that they were much too big to use. 

Cedar and I surfed on the top of the play train. 

April 2, 2012 - Monday - we had a very late lazy morning, trying to get over jet lag.  Went to library to use their computers, since we are not having much luck with Nicole's laptop.  Stopped at bank to get some pounds and then the local butcher for a couple of meat pies and pasties--yummy.  Nicole and I took the kids for a hike up Hampsfeild Fell just north of town.  Ordinances prevent people from developing the highlands and make for absolutely beautiful scenery.  The public walking paths are amazing--wish we had them in America.  The cars are amazing--wish we had them in America.

April 1, 2012 - We made it!  Arrived in Manchester around 8:30 am.  All flight on time and relatively uneventful, as we want them to be.  Kids very excited about flying, especially in the big plane, each passenger seat with their very own monitor for viewing TV and select movies.  After landing in Manchester, we managed to rent a wagon and were off to Grange Over Sands, where Nicole's Gran lives.  After a visit with Gran, we headed out to Humfrey Head, an interesting rock formation that jets out into Morecambe Bay.  The kids had a blast playing on the rocks and in the muddy tidal channels.