IRELAND!!

My dream has finally been realized: I went to Ireland!!  The five of us made a quick trip to Ireland over the weekend.  The kids were so excited that we were flying not driving.  The flight seemed SO quick compared to the trip to America.  I think we waited in the airport longer than we were actually in the air, since our flight was delayed over an hour!!  By the time to our Airbnb, it was after 10!  The funniest thing was that we were meant to pick up the keys at a pub, and Lauren just walked right into the pub.  (Trouble!)  We got the keys and the place was ok.  Not as nice as our place in Scotland, but it was a good location.

We noticed in the taxi that it was Gay Pride weekend in Dublin.

We all slept until nearly 9 on Saturday morning, which was kind of amazing!  We were out the door by around 10:30 and headed to the Guinness store house not too far from our place.  

It was quite a place!  I learned that Arthur Guinness signed at 9000 year lease on the brewery, and that all the water used to brew Guinness comes from the mountains.

The kids enjoyed playing the harp, as well as seeing all the different ad campaigns for Guinness over the years.

 The bar at the top where Brad and I enjoyed a pint of Guinness had quite a beautiful view of the city!!

We went back and relaxed a bit and then headed out to St. Stephen's Green, right in the heart of the city.  It was crowded with lots of people who had been to the parade.  Lauren kept asking "Why are there so many rainbows everywhere?"  

They had a great playground where the kids had a great time playing!  We exited the park onto Grafton St, which is the main street through central Dublin.  There was a street performer finishing up his show.  He was on a uni-cycle juggling knives!

 The kids were very enthralled by him!  We walked down Grafton St in search of the Central Hotel and the Library Pub.  We each had a drink (the kids had cordials which are called squash in London), and Brad and I had a pint.  There were no other kids in the entire place, but it was a quaint little place.  Lauren made friends with a guy who she overheard was talking about NY at the next table over.  She gets very excited when she hears someone mention anything that has to do with the US!  We attempted to go to a pizza and pasta place for dinner, and found out that the pizza crust had eggs in it, so we were off the find something else with no luck.  The kids ended up picking out some food at Tesco, and Brad and I ordered pizza.  It was an early night for all of us!

Sunday, we had to check out at 11 with our luggage, which limited what we could do.  But we did walk down to Trinity college, which is a beautiful campus!!!  

The kids had a great time standing on the "stage" and dancing.  Drew kept calling it his castle!  Then, we were off to get some lunch in the Temple Bar district.  We ended up having mexican at Pablo Picante, which was pretty authentic Mexican food.  The kids enjoyed the nachos and quesadillas.  We then crossed the Hapenny bridge and found a place for an Irish coffee!  YUM!!

We headed to the airport kind of early, which turned out to be not such a great idea because our flight was delayed nearly an hour so by the time it was FINALLY time to board the kids had pretty much had it.  But they were great on the flight!

Lesson learned that next time we need to do a little more research before we get there so we have a better idea of what to do!  Although, my friend Elena who lived in Ireland for a long time gave us all sorts of tips!  It was just not enough time, so I guess that means we will have to go back!

Our day at Royal Ascot

The day finally arrived!!!  The day for Brad and I to enjoy Royal Ascot.  I finally was able to find a wrap to match my dress, thank goodness!  It was so much fun to get dressed up and to see Brad looking so dapper in his morning suit and top hat.  The kids were convinced Brad was a magician and they kept asking him if he was going to pull a rabbit out of his hat.

I took the kids to school all dressed and got lots of comments!  Brad picked me up in the car and we were off!  It took about an hour to get there, and we did a little bit of driving through the countryside.  We arrived about 30 minutes before the gates opened at 10:30 so we just walked around a bit and watched all the people!  

We saw many very interesting dresses, and hats of course.  There were many skalpers looking for tickets.  We also saw several videocameras set up to interview people about their dresses, and right across from the royal enclosure was a place for "Owners, Trainers and Jockeys."

I absolutely loved seeing all the men in their morning suits and top hats!  

We went in right around 10:30.  The queue was not long at all, and everyone was very civil and polite. We were in the royal enclosure, which is the area with the most strict dress code. As we walked in, to the right was the paddock area.  

The grass was so green and the whole area was surrounded by flowers.  The union jacks were flying and shown everywhere.  Inside the building were many food vendors and bars, as you can imagine!  

KFC rented the Trackside restaurant, at the far end of the track.  As we walked in, they offered champagne and canapés (what a fancy word!).  I met several people who work with Brad, as well as many franchisees.  Brad was allowed to remove his top hat inside the restaurant, which I think he was relieved about!  

A tipster who works for the race course came in to give us some tips about how to bet, as well as give us the updates on the horses who had scratched.  They also has someone walking around with lucky dip tickets for £20.  It was basically tickets that had been already picked: 4 in each envelope.

We ate a delicious lunch.  The starter was pannacota cheese in an egg shell that actually looked like a hard-boiled egg, as well as duck pate inside a small Apple with bread crisps.  Lunch was lamb and beef with potatoes.  Dessert was fruit with a white chocolate cake.  We finished up just in time to see the royal procession!!!!

The royal procession began at 2:00 with the queen as well as other members of the royal family riding in horse-drawn carriages through the course and then into the paddock area.  It was very cool to see her!!  

And apparently, we could have placed a bet on the color of the queens hat.  It was mint green.  Brad was very impressed by how subdued the crowd was; I have a feeling if William and Kate were there, more people would have been cheering.  The queen was pulled by white horses, but she was followed by two or three other carriages that were pulled by brown horses.

After the royal procession, it was time for the races!!!  We placed our bets and went out onto the terrace to watch the race.  The first race was actually a pretty short distance, so it was over pretty quickly.  We didn't win; we took the advice of the tipster on the two sure fire wins, but only one panned out and he came in third!

The second race included the Queen's horse, Peacock.  In the program, the breeder is "THE QUEEN."  She needs no other name than that!!  I think he placed third.

The biggest race of the day was the Gold Cup, the fourth of the six races.  Brad and I decided to go out onto the grass close to the track to see that race.  

We were so close, and we could see the box where the royal family was seated; we could just glimpse the top of the queens mint green hat.

 The race was 2 1/2 miles so the horses ran past us twice.  And I picked the winning horse, on a whim: Trip to Paris.  Too bad I didn't bet quite enough to fund a trip to Paris!  

After the race, we walked out to the paddock where they also present the awards to the horses.  There is a large horseshoe for the First place horse, and then a place for the second, third and fourth place horses to stand.  

And the Queen, of course, presented the gold cup so we were able to see her again.  She moves pretty slow, and she got right down to business.  

How cool for the jockey and the owner to be able to shake hands with the Queen!  She's apparently very much a horse lover.

A couple of our neighbors were also at Ascot for the day, in the grandstand area, so we went and met them for a glass of Pimm's, which is a very British drink. 

a gin-based alcoholic drink, served typically with lemonade or soda water and fresh mint.
It is very good, especially served with fruit in it!  YUM!!

Then we walked back to the restaurant, and I decided to quit while I was ahead and no more bets for me!  Brad placed a bet on the last race, and then we tried to cash in our lucky dip, but our lucky dip was not lucky at all.  One of the ladies who was sitting at our table won £350 on HER lucky dip!  

After the final race, there was some singing around the bandstand, which we heard a little of as we headed out.

It was an absolutely perfect day!!!!  We were so lucky with the weather, and it is an absolutely stunning place.  I love getting dressed up and spending a day at the races.

Scotland

For the first weekend of half-term, which also happened to be a bank holiday, we took our first family trip (since arriving in London) to Edinburgh, Scotland.  It was great fun, and good training for the kids for all the other trips we have booked for the remainder of 2015.

We opted to take the train rather than fly, which was not too bad; although on the way out, it was a VERY crowded train, since it was a bank holiday.  Thankfully, we were able to get seats close together, but there were some people sitting on the floor and standing in the galleys of the train.  Since Drew is under 4, it is not necessary to purchase a seat for him, but he ended up sitting in Brad's lap almost the entire journey which was not the most comfortable, but we made it!  It took about 5 1/2 hours door to door.

We arrived at the airbnb place we had rented whilst they were still cleaning it, so we were able to drop our things off and explore a little bit.  The kids were pretty tired after the journey, but we tempted them with ice cream and off we went.  We found a beautiful old church, and as we were walking back to the flat, we came across a wedding.  There was a bagpiper outside the church playing as all the guests were arriving.  The coolest thing was that all the women were wearing hats to the wedding and a lot of the men were wearing kilts!!  I love that tradition!

Alison has become quite the treasure hunter, so she collected a bag full of treasures as we were walking the streets of Edinburgh all weekend.

Sunday morning, Brad and I got up and went for our runs, and then we were off to the castle.  

We sort of figured out the bus (no city mapper in Edinburgh!), and got our tickets to go see the Edinburgh Castle.  The kids really enjoyed seeing all the different parts of the castle.  We went into this chapel which is the oldest surviving chapel in Scotland.  It was VERY small, but beautiful stained glass windows inside.  

We also saw the Mons Meg, which is this HUGE cannon that could shoot cannonballs over 2 miles and required 8 people to move it.  

The crown jewels were also quite stunning.

We went a got a bite to eat at a cute little cafe and then we went to the Camera Obscura Museum.  

The kids were very reluctant at first, but they perked up once we got into the museum.  It's quite hard to explain, but they have all sorts of different optical illusions and game type things to learn about how your brain works with your eyes.  The favorite thing was this tunnel that you walk through that makes you feel like you are falling to the side.  After I did it couple times, I couldn't do it anymore because it made me feel sick to my stomach (getting old!), but Alison walked through at least 10 times I think.  They also enjoyed the computer morph where it took your picture, and then morphed you into a chimp, an Asian, and eastern European.  The final presentation was on the top floor, where they have the "camera obscura," which is a mirror in the hole on the top of the building which allows for 360 degree views of Edinburgh.  It was pretty amazing to see.  At the end of the presentation, the guy asked if anyone had questions and Lauren asked "How old are you?"

After the museums, we walked down to the St. James park and played for a bit .  Alison wasn't feeling great, so we took the bus home and she had a slight fever, so she went to sleep for a bit.

Monday, we got a bit of a later start because Alison still had a slight fever.  So, we opted to just do a bus your around rather than go to a museum or something.  

The bus tour was pretty interesting, just to see some different parts of Edinburgh.  We could have spent another day going to a couple of other museums, but we will just have to go back again! 

Things we saw in Scotland I haven't ever really seen anywhere else: a kilt shop where you can get a custom-made kilt starting at £365!!!!!

 Bagpipers and men wearing kilts in a pub on Sunday afternoon.

The train ride home was not as crowded as the train ride up to Edinburgh.  And we got seats with a table in the middle, which made it a little easier.  Drew was being really funny, using Brad's headphones to listen to music and pretend like he was singing along.  

We were all cracking up!  By the time we got home, it was nearly 9:00!!!  Thankfully, no school the next day because it was half-term!

All in all, it was a successful trip. Brad and I realized this trip was really the first trip the kids have taken to see the sites.  Most trips we have taken have been to the beach, so this holiday was different than what they have done in the past.  I think the enjoyed it, and were able to learn something.  Next trip: Dublin!

Interesting happenings last week!

Wow, have I been busy lately!!!  Last week was especially busy...here's the rundown!

 First of all, I have found myself as the PTA Chair of Garfield.  Not sure how that happened, actually yes I am.  Our good friend Jane accepted a job in Hitchin, which left the PTA Chair position vacant.  Since no one else was willing to step in, I decided "Why not?"  So, there you have it.  6 months after moving to a new country, I am the PTA chair; oh and we are planning the biggest fundraiser of the year...the summer fair.  No pressure at all; so thankful for all the amazing parents I have to help me!

The second exciting event from last week was that I went to Scotland Yard to get my fingerprints taken.

 As part of the background check for the school, if you are an overseas applicant from the US, you are required to get your fingerprints taken and sent to the FBI so they can investigate.  Scotland Yard is a massive place; it was full of all kinds of men in suits and uniformed police men.  A man at the outdoor entrance checked my passport against the appointments list for the day, then I went through a metal detector and my bag was checked by an x-ray machine, and then I checked in at the front desk.  The lady who did my fingerprints was an unassuming lady, the room was locked and must be used exclusively for fingerprints.  It took no more than 3 minutes and that was it!  So now the FBI will have my fingerprints.......

The third exciting thing was my personal styling appointment at John Lewis.  Brad and I have been invited to go to Ascot next week with his boss and several of his other co-workers.  It's a really big deal!  Brad received the following e-mail in regards to the dress code:

Royal Enclosure Dress Code

LADIES: Ladies are kindly reminded that formal daywear is a requirement in the Royal Enclosure, defined as follows:

• Dresses and skirts should be of modest length defined as falling just above the knee or longer.

• Dresses and tops should have straps of one inch or greater.

• Jackets and pashminas may be worn, but the dresses and tops underneath should still comply 

with the Royal Enclosure dress code.

• Trouser suits are welcome. They should be full length and of matching material and colour.

• Hats should be worn; a headpiece which has a base of 4 inches (10cm) or more in diameter is acceptable 

as an alternative to a hat.

Ladies are kindly asked to note the following:

• Strapless, off the shoulder, halter neck and spaghetti straps are not permitted.

• Midriffs must be covered.

• Fascinators are no longer permitted; neither are headpieces which do not have a base covering a sufficient area 

of the head (4 inches / 10cm).

GENTLEMEN: Gentlemen are kindly reminded that it is a requirement to wear black or grey morning dress, 

which must include.

• A waistcoat and tie (no cravats)

• A black or grey top hat

• A gentleman may remove his hat within a restaurant, a private box, a private club or that facility’s terrace, balcony 

or garden. Hats may also be removed within any enclosed external seating area within the Royal Enclosure Garden. 

The customisation of top hats (with, for example, coloured ribbons or bands) is not permitted in the Royal Enclosure.

• Black shoes

I decided that I needed some help to make sure I comply with the dress code AND that everything is matching, etc.

I LOVED it!  It was so much fun to have someone bring dresses for me to try on and help find the right color scheme.
I had to rush out of there so I could catch a train back to get Drew from school (I ran the entire way to the
train station and made it right before they closed the door!).  I went back today and I am so excited about my
oufit!!  Pictures to come next week when Brad has his morning coat and top hat!!

The afternoon of the same day I took Drew into London to the hospital to get his blood taken.  We are trying to
confirm for sure that he doesn't have celiac's disease.  He was SO brave; he barely even flinched.  The phlebotomist was so impressed with how still he was and how he didn't even complain!

On Saturday, we went to Wimbledon Park for a birthday party.  

This park is right across the street from the Wimbledon Tennis courts and I can't believe we haven't been there before; it was a great time!  And it was an absolutely beautiful day!!  The kids played mini golf, ran around with their friends, kicked the soccer ball, ate lots of candy, and played games.  Then we walked over to the playground where this also a splash park.  And of course all the girls (all 9 of them!) got in the water fully clothed!!!

 Thankfully, I had packed a change of clothes, but they had the best time.  Lauren was wet from tip to toe, but Alison mostly only the bottom half since she couldn't get her cast wet.

On Sunday, Brad and I went to Wembley Park to do the Color Run (notice the spelling since it's an American brand!)  It was at Wembley Stadium, which is where one of the big football clubs play all their games, as well as the site of the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics.

 It is quite a massive stadium as you can imagine!  It was another gorgeous day for us to do our first race in the UK.  Although it was not a timed, competitive race, it was still good fun!!  We waited in the queue for nearly an hour before we crossed the starting line, but it wasn't too bad.  It was VERY crowded and we were pretty colorful at the end.  After the race was over, they had an after-party that reminded us of Spring break.  They had a huge stage with an Emcee and music and also a photo drone overhead taking photographs of everyone throwing the powder that was handed out as you crossed the finish line.  Afterwards, we went to a pub nearby and had a couple pints, which was a good end to a fun day!!