I’ve missed Miss M dearly over the last week while she’s spent time with her grandparents in Kent – a rare break for me with having no family down in Devon, but a great opportunity for her to experience new and exciting things and spend quality time with family.  And as expected there have been up’s and down’s over the week – the fun days out she’s had but then the teary phone calls to mummy each night declaring how much she misses me.

But the week is over and it was time to pick her up – we thought about driving to a half way point – but Bank Holiday Monday with Mister B in the car – NO!!  So I took the train on my own to meet them in London and pick her up.  Meeting at the V&A museum, Miss M nearly toppled me over with the tightest cuddle ever but we soon set of to peruse the museums offerings and was kindly handed a crafty boat activity pack for Miss M to make inspired by the designs we could see on display.

We then headed through the central courtyard to the V&A restaurant where I enjoyed an Aubergine Parmigianno – yum!!  The chocolate meringues looked amazing but I went for a slice of chocolate cake to share with Miss M.

The architecture of the building was stunning and I couldn’t take my eyes off the gigantic balls of lights dangling down from the intricatly designed ceiling.

We then decided to pop next door to the Natural History Museum as Miss M was keen to see the dinosaurs although the volume of people in there compared to the V&A was considerable and it was a little too claustropobic for poor Miss M who loves the fresh air and outdoors.

So after exploring dinosaurs we headed off on foot to Hyde Park, past the Royal Albert Hall and across to the Princess Diana Memorial Playground.

Miss M loves being free to run around and her face lit up when she saw what awaited her.  Having never visited here before, I was a little unsure what to expect but was pleasantly surprised to see that the gated playground was manned and numbers were controlled to ensure there was no overcrowding.  The playground was very green, bushes and trees everywhere and through every little winding path you followed there was something new to explore.  The main centre attraction is a giant wooden pirate ship surrounded by sand and I have to say Miss M spent most of her time there.

After a long, tiring but fun and enlightening day it was time to go home.  Thinking Miss M would sleep for the three and three quarter hours train journey I was mistaken.  She was full of beans and couldn’t manage to sit still in her seat for the entire journey home.  And finally we were home sweet home. x