2019.

Pedal to the metal again for us.

We started the year with the kids in Illinois with family, and Rich and I in London finishing up moving logistics. We spent a couple kid-free weeks in London.

During that time, we also spent the weekend in Paris. Ah, le sigh.

And then, we travelled to Thailand for a week!

I wrote about these things separately here:

Then is was time to move into our new place in Hinsdale, just outside Chicago. We had originally lined up a temporary house in the city, but then this rental house came up in Hinsdale. The plan was to stay in the city for a few months and make decisions about a more permanent house from there. But, we had always heard good things about Hinsdale, so we decided to give it a try. With the original plan, the kids were going to have to be out of school for an undetermined amount of time. Taking the rental meant we could get them started and back in a routine sooner rather than later.

We shipped 15 boxes of random items and clothes from London to our family in the US. We packed several suitcases full of clothes on our plane trips. I sent bags of toys back with family who visited London before the move. Then Rich and I flew in from London, after our Thailand trip (during the polar vortex, I might add). When we landed, we rented a car and went straight to the Honda dealership to pick up our van at 9:00pm. From there, we went downstate. We rented a moving truck and collected the boxes and bags we shipped/sent. Plus, we collected all of the boxes of items that we had been storing at our parent’s homes (my entire kitchen basics, games, toys). We took all of that and moved it into this house.

Then…. we just needed to furnish the entire thing from scratch. We sold everything when we moved to London. We re-furnished in London. Then, we sold everything again. So… we were back at the start with furniture…. again.

The house didn’t come with laundry machines, which meant that I got to pick my own. After years of dealing with our Teeny Tiny combo unit in London, this was VERY EXCITING for me.

Hello lovelies!

We were able to rush physicals at a near-by Walgreens, and the boys were permitted to start school just a few days after we moved in. Sooner than I expected!

Getting the boys into school meant that it was just the babies and me during the day. We worked everyday on getting the house in working order – aka lots of trips to Target.

It took us a few weeks to get Internet and cable, because the cable company kept making mistakes. Our device reliant children naturally complained. Harry even made a poster of his lament, and posted it on the fridge. I went to Starbucks to use their Wifi to download shows for the kids on their ipads. And, we survived.

We made family trips to Costco and Ikea…. lots of trips.

We sat at the car dealership so daddy could buy a truck.

I spent night after night out shopping for things for the house. One room at a time. Measuring. Comparing. Trying to find the best price.

Then Rich and I would work late into the night putting things together. Family came and helped. It was exhausting. And sometimes I felt overwhelmed or resigned. One day, I just decided that we could get by with a card-table as a dining room table and there is nothing wrong with sleeping on a mattress on the floor.

But slowly… things came together. And the house became comfortable and functional.

Harry would come home from school and tell me about his day. He also needed a few more shots.

Rich found a Life Time fitness nearby, and we joined. We started swim lessons for everyone. Harry had to get a private instructor because he was too big and old for the regular lessons. I got into a nice routine, working out and taking the kids to the Kids Club. It was the perfect way to break up our days, and I started to regain my sanity.

In March, we celebrate Rich and Theo.

Viv started a little ballet class at the Kids Club in Lifetime.

We ordered two giant Love Sacs for the living room. They are a big hit.

Viv followed me around with her jewelry box while I sorted.

Often on Saturdays, I needed the house to myself for a while, so Rich took the kids back to all of our old favorite spots. And now we have memberships again at Brookfield Zoo, Shedd Aquarium, and the Field Museum. All of these are close to us, from our location in Hinsdale.

Viv didn’t have a closet in our London house, and now she has this cute little one where she likes to hang out.

All the kids went to the dentist.

And then, suddenly – it was Easter.

And we went downstate to be with family.

Back home… big score for Viv at a garage sale!

Harry had a project at school, and had to be Charles Darwin for the day.

Then, it was time to celebrate Harry’s birthday. He wanted to take Henry and spend the day at the trampoline park.

Then everyone went into skating lessons. We got a private instructor (again) for Harry. Because he was too big and old for the “Learn to Skate” and “Learn to Play” sessions. But the little boys went right in, and did very well.

Viv, winking at me, during her last class of ballet.

Then, ALREADY, the last day of school! We did it!

Rich found a place to fish.

We ventured to Centennial Beach in Naperville, where we had a great day and managed to ruin two swimsuits and a pair of goggles.

Then Finn, who is more socially inclined, decided he would like to have a birthday party with friends. I looked around for something he might like. I found a couple nature preserves nearby that provide kid’s birthday parties. How perfect for him! We spent an entire day shopping three different nature preserves. It was a fun day. And Theo lost his cute little hat.

The longer we stayed in our house, a few issues came up. The house itself is quite old, but was recently completely remodeled and updated. Because of this, the house had been vacant for over a year. When we moved in, a few little things were off… like we had an electrical switch that controlled the garbage disposal. But it was wired wrong. And the switch also controlled the dishwasher. So, if I wanted to run the dishwasher I would need to run the garbage disposal the entire time. The house couldn’t keep up with the extreme cold. Which was understandable. But, it really couldn’t keep up. So they sent a HVAC guy over – turns out the heater is undersized for the house, and all the vents are on the interior of the house, and the house is on a slab. And oh ya – the fireplace that we were excited to use is incorrectly installed. We spent a few nights trying to use it and just smoked ourselves out. So, they sent a fireplace guy over – turns out using the fireplace SOMEHOW actually makes the house colder.

We made it through the cold though.

But then, water backed up in the drain in the laundry area downstairs. They sent a man over to snake the drain, and we had no problems for several weeks. Then one night, Finn oddly requested a bubble bath and I obliged. His bubble bath was in the tub upstairs. And after his bath, I drained the tub, and bubbles came up out of a toilet DOWNSTAIRS.

This wasn’t a good sign and we knew it.

Sure enough, a few days later, we were flooded again in the laundry area. All over the rugs I put down, everything wet. But we cleaned it up again and they sent another plumber to snake again.

And then a few days later, it backed up for a third time. But this time it wasn’t just water. It was a nasty sewage mess. On this day Rich was out of town and I was packing up our bags to go home for the weekend.

And – I just left it. I couldn’t clean that mess up again.

I just took the bags and got the kids from school and just left that nasty mess in there.

I was BEYOND over it.

Rich called the property management company, and while I was gone they sent a clean up crew for the sewage, and plumbers to evaluate the line again.

So, here we are, downstate enjoying the Martinsville County Fair.

Forget about that mess back at home – time to have some fun.

When we returned home, the laundry room was perfectly clean and smelling of disinfectant. And I approved. But it took several weeks to fix the problem. Because if you hadn’t guessed by now – the problem was pretty major. Tree roots blocking the entire line. They had to dig out a trench and replace the entire pipe to the street. During this time we were on MAJOR water limit. We showered at the gym. No laundry what-so-ever. No dishwasher. Every time the kids flushed at home – I hoped and prayed that it wouldn’t show up in the laundry room.

It was so frustrating.

While the plumbers were at the house – we celebrated Finn’s birthday with friends at his nature preserve of choice, the Hidden Oaks Conservation Center.

Finn’s party went great!

And in the days following, the plumbing was finally fixed. Water was free flowing, flushing, and draining.

We were good to go.

We went out for dinner for my birthday and when we got home the house felt a little hot.

A week after our plumbing was fixed, our air conditioner quit.

Again, the problem was fixed. And again – since we are renting – thank goodness all of these fixes weren’t on our dime. But it’s still frustrating to have to deal with it.

Our landlord shopped around for services, which is fair enough, but we had to go without air-conditioning in the middle of summer for two and a half weeks. Sometimes, when we would wake up at 8:00am, the house was already at 85 degrees. So, the kids and I spent every day at LifeTime. I would take them and max out their allotted 2.5 hours at the air-conditioned Kids Club. Then we’d come home for a no-heat lunch, pack up snacks, and head back to LifeTime to spend the afternoon at the pool. And if the weather was decent, sometimes we’d go to the park for dinnertime. They didn’t seem to mind.

Next up, Independence Day.

On July 7th, our air conditioning was fixed and the house hasn’t had any issues since!

In the summer we also celebrated my brother and his fiance with a fun full-family pool party with her whole family.

We finished up the summer sessions of hockey and swim.

Then, we were off on our epic all-American road trip.

IT WAS EVERYTHING.

And it has it’s own dedicated post.

Upon our return from our road trip we celebrated Vivian’s birthday downstate with family.

Then it was back to life as usual for two weeks until school started.

It was during this time that we decided our kids were no longer going to have access to YouTube. All of our kids have iPads and those iPads have saved us for years during travel and doctor appointments and everything else. Rich is in the tech industry, he’s a self-confessed computer nerd. Our kids are always going to have access to several devices and lots of technology. That’s just the way it is. And they need that knowledge for the world that we live in. But, specifically YouTube was (we believed) ruining them. There is lots of AMAZING content on YouTube for children. They had the YouTube Kids apps on their iPads. It started out as an app they would watch sometimes mixed in with other games they were playing. But then it got to a point where they were only watching YouTube instead of doing anything else. It was just too much. Even with the parent controls on YouTube kids, I would catch them watching weird stuff and there was no way for me to know what they watched or what they were going to have access to. If they spend the entire day watching TV, they may have watched a screen all day – but at least I know what they watched. And since we have basic cable and Netflix, I know exactly what they have access to.

Any chance they got, they’d grab their ipad and turned on YouTube. They were watching too many weird junk videos. They were grumpy and short with each other. Their attitudes as a general baseline were going downhill. So, one day we just told them we were taking it completely away.

AND THERE WERE TEARS.

Lots of tears.

And we knew it was going to be harder on us than it was on them. Because I’m not going to lie and say that all that time they spent being QUIET watching YouTube wasn’t nice for us. Because it was. But our children were turning into something ugly.

We just couldn’t allow it anymore. We took it away and it was the best thing we have ever done. If they have a video they want to watch, for whatever reason, they can watch it in the kitchen, with adult supervision. And that’s just what we do now. We’re not perfect and they still have screen time, but it’s so much better.

THEY are so much better.

Viv is weirdly obsessed with the mannequins at the store. She insisted that I put her on this shelf and take her picture with this one.

Then it was time for school.

With the start of school we did our best to institute Friday Family Fun night. We are busy throughout the week with activities, but on Friday we try to plan something fun to do as a family. Sometimes it’s just a game at home, or making shadow puppets, but sometimes it’s dinner out or bowling. Either way, if we haven’t eaten dinner as a family all week – we at least get this in.

Then there was CME night at Six Flags. The Chicago Mercantile Exchange rents out Six Flags for the evening and invites all the employees of all the companies who trade on it to come. Basically lines are short and you can ride as many times as you can stomach. It’s so fun.

Finn kept at it with hockey.

Harry kept at it with swim.

And the babies played Tball.

This my Wednesday night bag line up…. after school hockey, then dinner in the car, and straight to tball.

The big boys go to school for a full day. And Theo goes to Kindergarten for half days in the afternoon. It worked out with drops and picks to send Vivian to the nearby Adventist Preschool – which is full day. She goes three full days and it works great. But this means, that of all the children Theo is home with me the most during the week.

On Viv’s off days, they get quite a bit of quality little-kid time in.

Viv and Theo fall asleep in the car all the time. I don’t know why, but I think it’s funny almost every time.

The kids have been campaigning HARD for a pet. Since we are in a rental, our options are limited. But even if we weren’t in a rental our options would be limited because I’m super cautious. I know the game. SURE, the kids get a hamster. But after a month, that hamster is now my hamster because they’ve lost interest. I know them. And, I’m not looking to take on any extra bodies. Rich said to me, “I wish there was an in-between step before getting a pet.” And I was like “How about we get them plants? We’ll tell them if they can take care of a plant for six months, then we will get them a small pet.”

So, here are some of their plants. We got them quite a few.

They have – all on their own – named these plants, and measured them, and continued to consistently take care of them. So… all signs point to small pet for us in the spring.

In the fall came Halloween, with the costume parade at school and surprise snow just in time for Trick-or-Treat.

It was so cold and snowy. It made me really grumpy and I didn’t feel like going out. I normally have them trade in most of their trick-or-treat candy for a small gift from the “Switch Witch” (me). She accepts their candy as payment for their gift. So, they don’t get to keep a lot of candy regardless of how much they trick-or-treat. And they know this. And the switch witch brings pretty good stuff, so they are happy with the arrangement. I told the kids – if they didn’t want to go out – they could just have their switch witch gifts for free and we can have the bag of candy we were planning on handing out. They were disappointed, but happy enough with this trade. Rich made a pot of chili and we watched a movie. Halloween done.

Shortly after Halloween, the Christmas stuff came out and we started slowly decorating the house. Since we were traveling downstate for Christmas this year, that meant that our “Christmas” at home was going to actually happen on the 14th, which meant that everything was kind of moved-up for us. Cue the decorations on November 1st.

On Fridays, in addition to Friday Family Fun, while we wait for Rich to get home – they have a standing playdate with their friends and a special Friday treat. It’s become a fun little thing. We really load up the Friday. But it gives me lots of leverage during the week. I need good attitudes and happy children for all of the activities that we are attempting plus all of the shuffling that goes with it. Not to mention the completion of reading logs, Spanish log, baritone log, regular homework, and everything else the week entails.

So, Friday is our celebration. None of it – treat, friends, family fun – is a given. We work for it. They work for it. And there has been weeks when I’ve taken parts of it away, for whatever reason. But for the most part it’s a very happy day.

Thanksgiving – downstate with family.

Harry’s gingerbread of daddy….

A few good drawing examples. They have literally hundreds of theses… we go through a lot of paper. But, I’m not going to stop them.

These are Harry and Finn’s desks, where they do all of their work.

One is always more orderly than the other….

Then is was time for our Christmas at home. They got lots of great things and a few good games. But we started with a fresh new “Game of Life”

Then it was time to go downstate for time with family for two rounds of church and lots of good happy meals.

Look at Grandma’s fabulous grandchild-themed gingerbread shops!

btw… photo cred on most of these good Christmas pics – my mom.

I decided we’d go plaid this year for Christmas Eve.

Why not?

How cute is Viv?

And that pretty much wraps up the year.

Pictures, words.

It doesn’t escape me that we have somehow scraped through another year without major catastrophe or trauma. With all of us miraculously in good health. Rich and I both feel stressed and stretched really thin most days, and we’re not perfect. But we know exactly how much we have to be thankful for and we count it everyday.

It’s the best, pretty much.

Onward and upward!

THE BABES

HARRY

Harry started out the year happy and confident. He had been doing really well socially and academically in London. Things were hard for him, understandably when we moved. I worried about him struggling socially. But I thought he’d be fine academically. The opposite turned out to be the case. Everyone was friendly and nice to him and he made a couple quick friends. But in school he really struggled to keep up and adjust to the different pacing of this school and the constant assessment. We went in early a few times, had talks with the teacher, and by the end of the year he was finally making strides.

Then the new school year started and he found himself a little lost again. So, again, we worked with him and supported him a little bit. Talked with his teacher. And by the second trimester, after Thanksgiving, he was finally feeling confident again saying things like “I’m crushing school this trimester” and “I’m one of the most active participants in math class.” and “I was the only one to get 100% on my show-what-you-know.” He was disappointed at the beginning of the year when he found out that he wasn’t in advanced math. But he’s been working hard and doing well. He will be tested again in the spring of 2020, and he hopes to be in advanced math next year.

For extra activities he’s been amazingly active. We threw everyone in swim lessons, because we made it a family priority. In March at his first lesson, the instructor recommended that Harry take a few private lessons instead of the group lessons. Harry was just so PAINFULLY awkward and behind for his age. And he kept getting really frustrated and upset, because he was in class with 6 and 7 year olds. I mean, we were asking so much of him already…. with a new home, new school, and now a new skill. So.. we followed their recommendation and shelled out even more cash for a private instructor. Just enough lessons to get him caught up… is what we said. He worked with Jake – whom I call the Harry whisperer – and within a few weeks Harry was swimming the length of the pool in a smooth freestyle. The transformation from March to May was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen Harry do. From there we signed him up for a ‘summer swim league’ which was essentially a baby step into competitive swim. Harry and Finn both signed up for the summer league and they both cried their eyes out after their first practice. They were both just so overwhelmed. But eventually they got used to it. After a couple of weeks, a few other LifeTime clubs brought over their summer league swimmers and we had a couple meets at our club. It was very informal and it was the perfect introduction to swim team for Harry.

At the end of summer league, the coach asked if Harry would like to join the LifeTime swim team. I didn’t even know there was one. But, I said yes. And, when we got back from our roadtrip, Harry went to his first practice, and – again – cried for a long time afterwards. “I can’t do this. I hate swimming. It’s too much.” The whole thing. But I pressed on. I don’t know anything about swimming, but I know that he looks good and smooth in the water. And the coaches say he takes direction very well.

We went to his first official meet, and Harry looked like he was going to throw up. I thought he might. But, he didn’t. In fact, he got in the pool – made a clean start – and won his heat.

And since then he has participated, relatively, without complaint. He got ‘promoted’ from the Developmental Team, to the Bronze Team – which meant a longer practice and having to learn starts and turns. And he cried about that. It’s been a rollercoaster of winning, losing, pride, and tears (his). But overall it’s been an amazing experience for him so far. The confidence it’s giving him overflows into other areas of his life. And it has helped massively with his coordination.

This year, he also tried a few weeks of basketball, a baseball camp, and started learning how to ice skate alongside Finn. But swimming has been a constant for him, and I expect that to continue.

So, along with swimming, I’ve endeavored to make ‘learning an instrument’ a priority for the children at age 8 or 9. Harry had been learning the piano in London, and here he was able to sign up for 5th grade band. He was evaluated by the band instructors and was recommended for a brass instrument. He chose the baritone. And it comes amazingly natural to him. I can NOT make a nice sound on that thing no matter how hard I try. But he can. And he can play different notes. And hold a note for a long time (thanks swim breathing). And by December, he was able to play several songs! We’re looking forward to some band concerts in the spring.

Other than all of that, Harry remains the leader of the pack here at home. He’s creative and smart. He likes to draw and code on his laptop. He likes to make YouTube videos (even though he’s not allowed to watch YouTube). He likes to build and construct… anything. Forts, laser tag arenas, pretend zoos, legos, plus plus blocks, offbits… anything. He also loves to game. Any type. Board games, card games, video and computer games. He also loves to design and create his own games. He’s a homebody and creature of habit. He likes to have an evening snack in his room and watch tv – as a reward for completing all of the tasks in his busy day (which sometimes for him is school, homework, swim practice, and baritone practice).

He loves his siblings, he loves his room, and he loves his comfy clothes. He’s growing more confident and social everyday.

He’s kind and thoughtful, and respectful. He makes mistakes and pushes his siblings, and me, but most of the time we’re very proud of him.

Harry’s Birthday Interview:

How tall are you? I am about 5’1″

Now that you’re TEN, what’s different? I want to be more kind and I feel more active and stronger.

What’s your favorite food? AHhhhhhh… hmmmmm… hot dogs! NO! Hamburgers!

Who is your favorite friend? Henry.. and Michael..

What do you want to be when you grow up? Reptile Breeder and a TV manager

What do you like best about Daddy and Mommy? Um, that he’s really funny and that he likes to play video games with us and also that he takes care of us. That she makes great food and that she buys good things and that she takes care of every thing really good and she takes us a lot of places after school and stuff like that.

How strong is daddy? really strong, but he’s been gaining a little weight

What’s mom’s favorite thing to do? cook, and relax and watch TV

What’s your favorite thing about Theo, Finn, and Viv? Theo – ah, he’s funny. really funny and he likes playing games. Finn – that we always play together and he’s very creative. Viv – that’s she’s cute and funny.

What do you think of girls? Ah… well it depends if they’re my family or not. IF they’re my family – loving. If they’re in my class or something – very mean. In America they don’t really talk to boys that much.

If you could have a super power, what would it be? To see the future.

What’s the best thing that happened to you this year? Joining the Lane School. Or getting a Nintendo Switch, and getting a phone.

Where do you want to go on vacation? London! I want to go see Jerome.

Are you going to get married someday? I have no idea.

How do you make cookies? Mix the chocolate chips and the dough and the sugar. And then you put in the oven and then you’re like “wahoo!”

Can you tell me a joke? “Do you want to hear a construction joke?” (Ya.) “Ah, I’m still working on it.”

What do you know about God and Jesus? They created this world and Jesus died on the cross and came back to life.

FINN

At the beginning of the year Finn was happily enjoying his time off of school and looking forward to the adventure of a new school. He easily impressed the principal during our tour of the school asking smart questions and being generally funny and charming. He took second grade in stride and we never heard a whisper of trouble from him or the teacher.

He started third grade and things got alittle bit more serious, but he again didn’t seem to have any trouble He completely bombed one project – which we (teacher too) were all surprised by. We don’t really know what happened with that, but otherwise he’s been cruising right along.

He loves math and science, and it shows in his schoolwork. He continues to be freakishly smart with biology and everything of that sort. I give him shows to watch and books to read and he just eats it all up. He likes to stay up past his bed time and read in his bed. This has been a source of contention for us because while I ALWAYS advocate reading, when he’s up way too late doing it – I don’t know where to draw the line. He’s eight, after all. Several times, after his lights have been turned off – I’ve gone up to check on them, and he’s turned his bed light back on and he’s reading again. He reads everything. Fiction like the Whimpy Kid and Captain Underpants books, to Non-Fiction like “Seeing Science” “The Wondrous Workings of Planet Earth” etc. I found a thousand page textbook at the used book store, and bought it for him. It’s called Modern Biology, and I think it’s high school level. It’s got everything he needs to know. All the answers to all of his questions in complete detail. And as I type this – there are several bookmarks in that book, where he’s been in it.

Finn has also taken an interest in playing hockey. All three boys started skating lessons because we thought it would be a good experience for them. Harry was okay with dropping off with lessons after a while, and Theo is very take-it-or-leave-it, but not Finn. He really loves it and he wants to play on a team. After taking the summer sessions of “Learn to Play” and private lessons with an instructor we thought he might be ready to be on a house league team. So, we took him to the evaluation days. But, he was too intimated to go on the ice. SO – we signed him back up for the “Learn to Play” except this time we signed him up for three sessions a week. And in December, he’s been back with a private instructor. Come January 2020, he’s planning on going to the evaluation days for the Spring League house team. He really wants to be on a team. I think hockey suits him, and hopefully he feels confident enough to get on the ice for the spring evaluations.

Other than that, Finn is very fun and has a great sense of humor. As in, he understands humor and sarcasm and can crack an actual joke. He loves his siblings and he loves adventure. He loves to draw. He loves to ride his bike and wrestle in the yard. He’s very hard-headed when he wants to do something. He frequently gets in trouble for lying to us and defying us. And he accepts his punishment right on the chin without much complaint.

He’s our most adventurous eater. He likes sushi and coffee and spicy chips. He likes to make his own sauce for chicken nuggets – combining his special mix of ketchup, mustard, and mayo: and calling it Finn’s Den Sauce.

Finn’s Birthday Interview:

How tall are you? I’m 4 foot 8.

Now that you’re EIGHT, what’s different? That I have harder math studies. I have harder studies.

What’s your favorite food? ah, Ribs

Who is your favorite friend? um.. all my friends. Jeet, Raahi, Michael and Anthony and Jake and Phillip

What do you want to be when you grow up? I want to be a biologist

What do you like best about Daddy and Mommy? That they always make food for me and take care of me.

How strong is daddy? In a chart of 1 to 10, I say 7.

What’s mom’s favorite thing to do? Um.. cooking and sunbathing.

What’s your favorite thing about Harry, Finn, and Viv? Harry, that he plays with me. Theo – he makes me laugh. Vivi – she makes me laugh.

What do you think of girls? Devils.

If you could have a super power, what would it be? Be as fast as flash. And flying.

What’s the best thing that happened to you this year? Moving to America

Where do you want to go on vacation? Um.. nonono… let me think… Bahamas

Are you going to get married someday? Don’t know.

How do you make cookies? With flour, sugar, chocolate chips, milk, eggs. You crack the eggs and you put the flour in the bowl with the eggs, then you put the sugar in the bowl, then you stir it up. And then you add the milk. Then you put them in cookie shaped things and then you put it in the oven. Then you stick the chocolate chips in. Then you put it back in the oven. Then you eat them.

Can you tell me a joke? Why did the dinosaur cross the road? (Why?) Because chicken weren’t invented yet.

What do you know about God and Jesus? That God way back in the BC’s he was kind of strict. And then Jesus came down to try and tell people how to pray and how to do churches. They killed Jesus because the priests lied to them. Then two days later he came back alive and went back to heaven and peace came around the world.

THEO

Theo started the year happy to go along with whatever we were doing. He took the move and all of the changes pretty much in stride and we never really saw him go through any signs of stress. He missed his friends from Reception, but he wasn’t overly devastated.

Instead of putting him in preschool for three months, I decided to keep him home. Mostly, honestly, to play with Viv. He had lots of schooling in London prior to the move – including full day Reception for the entire fall. So I felt like he could safely sit this one out and join everyone in Kindergarten in the fall. And he went in and has been breezing right on through. The first thing his teacher said to me at our conference was “He is all boy.” And ah, I don’t think that’s necessarily a compliment. But regardless, a good report overall from school.

He is our most social boy. For Harry and Finn, they usually tell me about the things they are doing in school, but not Theo. He usually tells me about the people at school, and I know there’s a few times where his social habits have distracted him from learning. So, it’s something that we work on with him. And since he’s my little daytime buddy, he also has a core group of little buddies that he plays with at the Kids Club at LifeTime. In fact, on mornings when I don’t plan a gym visit he often begs, BEGS, me and cries to go to Kids Club to play with his friends. And sometimes… I oblige. It’s like he’s got FOMO at 5.

Of the three boys he is also the only one to take notice of music. He has natural perfect rhythm and he notices songs. As in, if he hears a song he likes he immediately wants to know the title and who sings it. Then, that song goes into the memory bank. And sometimes he’ll request it weeks later. He’s amazing. I make him little playlists that we listen to in the car – since he and I spend a lot of time in the car. I have him listen to everything under the sun. Everything. He’s already diverse in his knowledge, but his current favorites are Luke Bryan, Imagine Dragons, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Lizzo. WIth the top spot probably being The Killers.

He liked skating well enough, he’ll be keeping that up in the new year to see if he wants to continue. He is also in regular swimming lessons still, and he’s moved up a couple levels – he knows free style and backstroke and can confidently swim the length of the pool. He is also our most interested in baseball. We put him in the baseball camp in the summer, and the fall tball. He loved both and asked for more. We are happy to oblige. We love baseball too.

He loves to eat meat, of any type. In fact, out of his actual mouth “For dessert, can I just have more chicken?” He’s almost as adventurous as Finn. He eats sushi and spicy things, like Finn does. He doesn’t love fruit, but we can always count on him to eat his meat and veggies.

He loves to play with his siblings. He loves to do puzzles. He loves to put things together and take things apart. He doesn’t like to sing, but he like to keep the rhythm of a song. He’s a natural with math – like his brothers. Also like his brothers, he likes to game. LOVES it in fact. And he loves learning to read. He’s kind and sweet with Vivian, and he can hang with the boys during their wrestling matches.

Theo’s Birthday Interview:

How tall are you? 5 feet high, I fink.

Now that you’re FIVE, what’s different? That I feel like I’m six.

What’s your favorite food? Ahh, MEAT.

Who is your favorite friend? Fred! But too bad Fred is in London.

What do you want to be when you grow up? A Police Man.

What does daddy do at work? Get money. It’s easy to tell.

What do you like best about Daddy and Mommy? That mommy makes food. And that daddy makes money.

How strong is daddy? SUPERstrong.

What’s mom’s favorite thing to do? Drive the car and listen to the song. It’s easy to tell.

What’s your favorite thing about Harry, Finn, and Viv? Harry, playing with him. Finn, that he shares his ipad with me. Vivian, she likes drawing with me.

What do you think of girls? Pretty nice.

If you could have a super power, what would it be? Saving the world. Super strength! I mean, invisible!

What’s the best thing that happened to you this year? Getting presents at London from Santa.

Where do you want to go on vacation? The beach! And finding shells and crabs and starfishes.

Are you going to get married someday? NO. Probably yes.

How do you make cookies? Get chocolate chips. Get some dough and flour. Mix it. And then you put the flour in and the chocolate chips. And then you put it in the fridge and then you wait.

Can you tell me a joke? ohhh. K. I know like 10 joke. “Why does the chicken cross the road?” (Why?) “Because it’s gets squished.” “I mean – it gets all globby and bobby.”

What do you know about God and Jesus? He lives in space.

Vivian

Vivian has changed a lot this year. She had been going to half day nursery in London and was slowing coming out of her shell there. When we moved here, she went back to being home full time with me (and Theo). Then in the fall she started full day preschool, three days a week. I pack a lunch for her, and she gets a nap time in the afternoon. It’s been a wonderful experience for her and she’s loving it. It was during the conference with her teacher, however, that I realized I completely forgot to teach Vivian her alphabet at home. Whoops! I don’t know what happened. I taught all the boys their alphabet at home when they were 2, and when I got to Viv’s conference the teacher showed me a paper and was like, “So, this is how her letter recognition is going.” And it was not good. She started going to Nursery in London when she was two, because that was the UK standard, and I guess it just slipped my mind… I don’t know. I know she did some letter work in school in London. Did she forget it all? Anyway – I was a little blindsided.

She loves to play with her brothers. She’s a princess and a tiger. And even though she’s shy, she’s fairly social and has a couple good little friends at school and at Kids Club. She naturally balances being super-princess-girl with shooting-her-bow-and-arrow and doing somersaults to hang with the boys. She loves to ride her bike and play baseball. She loves to play dolls and push her stroller around. She likes to color with me and do yoga. She likes to go to the store. She like flowers and jewelry and anything pink. She likes to play outside and run in the grass. She likes to sing along to Disney princess songs, but prefers to watch shows like Paw Patrol, Sonic, Captain Underpants, and Shark Boy and Lava Girl.

She likes to help, with everything. She wears a dress most days. She declares her love for me several times a day. She asks for cuddles and hugs. She’s intuitive. She’s observant. She’s funny. She’s smart. She hides things around the house. I find her bracelets in the laundry basket, the silverware drawer and my toothbrush holder. If someone brings something home that she thinks is special, she’ll find a way to sneak it into her room and hide it. Finn brought home a little crystal one day. A few days later, I found it tucked in Vivi’s nightstand. She did the same thing with rocks, a jelly starfish, coins, chapstick, bouncy balls, Christmas ornaments, and several other items.

She started a very casual ballet class at LifeTime and she liked it well enough, but hasn’t asked to go back. She takes swim lessons. She loves the water and swims confidently all around the pool. She has now asked to skate with the boys, however. So, in the new year we plan to let her try ice skating. And she’ll probably pick another activity to try.

Vivian Birthday Interview:

How tall are you? 3!

Now that you’re FOUR, what’s different? Preschool. Or practice school!

What’s your favorite food? Fig Bars and Cheerios

Who is your favorite friend? I have another Vivian who’s like me. Strawberry, Streacher,  and Y…c…q…o.

What do you want to be when you grow up? Um… a princess. Remember I’m gonna be the queen.

What do you like best about Daddy and Mommy? Daddy is so strong and he always tickle me. I like best about mommy that you are so fluffy.

How strong is daddy? SUPER STRONG! Like a million strong.

What’s mom’s favorite thing to do? um.. work and you always do the dishes. Clean your glasses and clean the clock and me and Theo dust everything and we eat and daddy tickles on Sunday and Wednesday and Monday.

What’s your favorite thing about Harry, Finn, and Viv? Harry, cus I love him and he always cuddles with me and I like his bed and he’s so skinny. Finn, cus he loves me and Theo. Theo, cus he has so many closets.

What do you think of boys? They have short hair.

If you could have a super power, what would it be? Um, pink.

What’s the best thing that happened to you this year? When I sleep, my hair changed colors.

Where do you want to go on vacation? To grandma’s house!

Are you going to get married someday? Ya. I’m going to marry Theo. I mean, Harry.

How do you make cookies? you use sugar and butter and you mix it up. And mom, you put it to a ball. And roll it. And make sure it’s flat. And put it on the plate and eat it. See? I’m good at it.

Can you tell me a joke? A dinosaur went on the road and crushed a dinosaur on the belly and on the tail.

What do you know about God and Jesus? Easter Eggs. And Jesus died and went back to his house.

KID WORDS

Me to Viv “Are you going to help us clean up?”

Viv “No. I’m being a princess.”

Theo “Mom I like it better when you paint that color on your lips.”

Theo “Vivi got scratched at the gym. So, I went and found all the people that scratched her and tried to scratch them and get them away.”

Me, to Theo and Vivian: “Good cleaning up guys.”   Theo “I did it all.”
Viv “Ya, I just did nothing.”

Viv “My penis is about to grow in.”

“When I grow up I want to be a princess. With a pink dress and a pink hat. No…. Not hat.” Vivian

Vivian “Mom you’re a good driver. And very nice. I love you. And daddy. And me and you are both girls. You can share your earrings with me. I want a bunch of snacks.”

Theo, to Vivian “I love you more than the sun. I love you more than the moon.”

Theo, to me “You look like a princess in your apron mom.”

Theo “Mom. You are the best baker, but the guy who made this (lunchable) is the best guy I ever had.”

Vivian, to me “I love to lick you.”

Vivian, to me “You’re the best, babe.”

“This music is really nice mom… (Me, “Thanks”) I’m just saying that because I love you.” Theo

“Mom. I’m so lucky to have you.” Harry

“Mom. I’m good at dolls.” Vivian

“I want to talk about married now.” Vivian

“I love when you give me kisses. Everytime you give me a kiss, I keep it. I’ve got them all stacked up inside.” Theo, to me

“Frozen is in the real snow and we live in London.” Vivian “We don’t live in London anymore, remember?” Me  “Oh, ya, we live in Costco.” Vivian

“I fell down at running club. I don’t like running in curves.” Finn

I approach the boys, Vivian is crying, holding her face. Finn says “Ok. So. We were playing ball. And Vivi’s face got in the way. And it. Well….. It went bonk.”

“WOW. NEIL DIAMOND. What a cool name!” Harry

“I’ve caught a rolly polly. I named him Bro. I’m going to keep him as a pet. I like Bro. He’s like a dog. Just really really tiny.” Theo

Theo points to PetSmart “That’s where I get my hair cut.”

“Mom. What is the fat content of human breast milk? Did you know that an average human baby weighs six more pounds than an average grey wolf pup.” Finn

“We all have toes.” Theo

Finn: Mom. Name an animal that lives in the temperate forest. Me: ah…. I’m not sure what a temperate forest is.  Finn:  WHAT!?!?!?

Harry to Rich “Dad. You haven’t gone to the gym in a while.”

“Mom, when we get home, can I hug you?” Vivian

While I’m pulling Vivian in the bike trailer “Mom. You look so beautiful riding your bike.” Vivian

“For my birthday, I want special powers.” Vivian

“Mom. I love you, but I don’t want to eat the rest of my food.” Vivian

Riding in the bed of the truck from our neighbor’s house to ours, “Mom, I’m going to draw this so I never forget it.” Finn

“I have a science test on Friday. I’m totally gonna wiz on it!” Finn

“I know how the Flash runs so fast. He eats all his peas.” Theo

Watching Rich play basketball “Look at dad, doing such a good job keeping up with all of the other guys. He’s so much older than everyone.” Harry

“I hurt my feelings” Vivian

Getting ready to paint toe nails “Yes, mom, I want pink on my toenails. But please don’t put it on my eye brows.” VIvian

“Mom. When I grow up I’m going to join The Killers.” Theo (The Killers are a rock band)

“Mom. Where does Luke Bryan live? I want to see him. And Lizzo.” Theo

“When I go looking for things I can’t find them. Mostly because I don’t really use my eyes. Also, because I’m lazy.” Finn

Watching Rich play basketball “He’s just hanging loose sipping juice!” Finn

Helping with laundry “This is a nice system you got here mom.” Harry

“Is that smell your body?” Vivian, to me

“I love your head.” Vivian, to me

“It’s hard to find a cat or dog as cute as Viv.” Finn

“I want to marry this guacamole.” Theo

Finn, listening to song “Rich” by Maren Morris “I just love it when she says shit. It’s just so satisfying.” 

“When we hug you it feels like a metal table, when we hug grandma it feels like a big glob of jelly and I love it!” Finn

Harry, listening to song “YMCA”: “Why did they write a song about a gym?”

“When The Killers die, I want to take over for them. And I’ll get some friends to be in the band too.” Theo

“Can I drink this smoothie in the bathtub?” Vivian

“Can we go back to Paris and I wear these earrings? When can we go back to Paris?” Vivian

Seeing cornfields covered in snow “This is a field. For chasing bunnies.” Finn

“I know all the numbers. One through a million.” Harry

“I want to cuddle with these bananas.” Vivian

Mom Fails

left sunroof open overnight

throat punched myself with automatic umbrella

sent empty water bottles in lunch boxes

forgot swim bag for practice

forgot wallet at store

forgot wallet at post office (I blame Amazon for both of these)

forgot to teach Viv the alphabet

Rich and I spent some Quiet Time in London for a couple weeks in January. We had just moved our children back to Illinois to be with family while we took care of logistical items for our international move.

On a Saturday morning we were eating brunch at Dishoom, which is one of the best places to do such a thing.

Dishoom happens to be right near St.Pancras, the international train station in London.

It’s beautiful all on it’s own.

After brunch we were walking through St. Pancras, and Rich said “What if we just took the train to Paris right now?”

And that was it.

WELL… first we had a short debate.

“We hate Paris” I said.

“I know” he said.

I have talked about my Paris feelings before. But we just couldn’t help feeling like maybe we just weren’t doing it right. We should just give it one more try, while we had the chance.

“How much is it gonna be?” I said

“Not that bad” he said.

Standing in the train station, from his phone, Rich booked a flight, then promptly found a hotel. We know our Paris neighborhoods just well enough to know where we wanted to be.

Note – we first compared train tickets to plane tickets and ended up going with flights. Often, in Europe, plane tickets are cheaper than train tickets. Just depends. And you have to consider the timing of each and the ground transport options.

Worked out there was a flight leaving soon that we could make. There are often multiple flights per day between major destinations. For example there were five flights from London to Paris this day… I think tickets were $40/person.

We went back to the apartment and grabbed a bag. Then we went to the airport and got on the plane. It’s amazing how fast we can move without the kids.

Like, whoa.

We arrived late afternoon and checked into our hotel.

Changed and went out for some food. Actually I think we took a power nap first, if I remember correctly. Because we know in Paris, you can eat dinner at 11pm if you want.

We knew we wanted some good wine.

I mean…. Hello.

Rich did a little research and found L’Avant Comtpoir – a highly rated wine bar with French style tapas. We found the restaurant, but barely. It was TEENY TINY. Just a long thin bar and a row of stools. And it was jam packed with people. We actually walked by it a couple times trying to find it. Once we realized where it was we weren’t even sure how to approach it. There were people everywhere, but no hostess or anything. There seemed to a be a few other people waiting to be served and they were just standing around and mingling outside, sort of like we were. The menu was just pictures of tapas bites hanging from the ceiling, only in French. And the wines were listed on the wall.

We felt really overwhelmed and thought about leaving. But we decided to wait just a few minutes in the crowd. One stool opened. Rich said “take that one” and he stood at my side as we tried to decide how and what to order. A few minutes went by and the people next to us were finished. Keep in mind, no customers at the bar are in any type of hurry.

This is how big it was.

There are our legs. And that’s how we sat – with my legs basically inside Rich’s, because there was also no real leg room under the bar.

And that tiled wall is the outer wall of the restaurant – with hooks to poke yourself on.

Then is was time to try and order food and wine.

No small task for us.

Luckily for us the bartender was FRIENDLY!

And he spoke English with us, and at least pretended like he didn’t want to vomit while doing so.

And he helped us order. WHAT?

We had the house white and the house red. Here’s a tip when you’re in France. You can order the “house” of anything and it will be absolutely delicious. They ain’t messing around with their wine. And “the house wine” is good.

We ate a few tapas plates, but I don’t even remember what they were because honestly – the star of the show here – was the butter. If you look back at the first picture you can see a slab of yellow on the bar with a knife stuck in it. You might ordinarily over look such a thing. But they keep dishing out simple warm bread, and then dropping head-size slabs of this butter right within arms reach.

Ohrmegard YOU GUYS.

Soft, creamy, a hint of sweet, just the right amount of salt on top.

OH MY GOSH YOU GUYS.

This butter changed my mind about Paris.

Have you heard about the butter?

It wins.

And… I mean… on that hot fresh bread.

Get in my mouth now.

Anyway.

Once we were done there we wandered around, looking for some dessert.

We found an adorable chocolate shop on our walk, but that’s not quite what we wanted.

We moved on and found a little place that had creme brulee and chocoalte mousse.

Yep, that’s the ticket.

I know our dessert was good here, but honestly I was still thinking about that butter from dinner.

In the morning we got up, and headed straight to Ble Sucre. We had read that this pastry shop might possibly have the best croissants in Paris. And…. ah… I haven’t tried all of the croissants in Paris, but I can tell you that these are the best. When the line is long, you’re in the right place.

Once you have your pastries, you sit outside the restaurant and this is your view.

PURE PERFECTION!

We started with croissants, and GOT BACK IN LINE for more: almond and chocolate on the second round.

And all I could think was that they used that butter from L’Avant Comtpoir to make these pastries. THE BUTTER YOU GUYS. It makes these pastries.

I’ve had a lot of pastries, ok. I have a soft spot for – specifically – croissants. I’ve had them in Rome and Amsterdam and London. I’ve had them in Greece and Spain. I’ve had them in Thailand – where they are actually kind of amazing. I’ve had them in America – where they are the most sad, btw.

But nothing compares to these. My mouth is watering as I type this.

These are technically perfect with the magical amount of softness and crunch. Perfect density but also airy. And then the flavors after that…. hint of sweet. Not too much, just enough. Perfect salt. Just perfect.

And I’m now converted.

I can now say I would return to Paris.

If only to have these croissants.

I’m serious.

Then we strolled down the famous French market street “Rue Cler”

Then we went to Notre Dame, because I was in search of some artwork I had seen along the river in previous trips. I regretted not buying the street art, so I was happy to have a chance to go back and get it myself. I got a painting and combination of prints that now hang in Viv’s room.

After that we ventured to a museum that we’d always wanted to visit during trips before; the Musee D’Orsay. It’s beautiful, and honestly preferable to the Louvre – in my opinion.

Then, we had just enough time to score some famous Angelina hot chocolate.

Yep – in fact, delicious.

Then it was back to the airport, where the food is just as beautiful and tasty.

We had a leisurely dinner while we waited for our late flight.

Basically this little weekend in Paris was pretty awesome. I’m hesitant to declare my love.

I mean, I don’t think I love it here.

But I definitely don’t hate it anymore – the butter is too good for me to ever say that again.

I’m so glad we decided to give it one more chance.

I can confidently say: I LIKE Paris.

SO.

We were moving from London back to the Chicago area.

Rich was to start his new role in Chicago in February, but he still needed to work in London for the first two weeks in January. We didn’t think it was “worth it” to put the kids back in their London school for one month. So – the day after Christmas we moved them to Illinois and they stayed with family for the entire month of January. It was really special for them to have concentrated family time after three and a half years of living abroad. And we were lucky that our amazing family was able to take all four of them on.

They had a wonderful time.

This also worked really well because we were able to spare the children from the mess of packing up the house and moving out. After taking the kids to my parent’s house in Illinois, I flew back to London to tie up all the loose ends. Since Rich was still going to be working, he and I “moved” into a studio apartment. I went back and forth between the apartment and our house to finish selling the things we weren’t moving, packing up and shipping all the things we were moving, hiring cleaners, touch up painters, etc. It was frantic and exhausting. Everything was done by January 4th and we turned our keys in and said good-bye to the house.

Our home for two and a half weeks in London was this precious little studio apartment. We found it on AirBnb and it was so cute and fun and perfect. The bed lowered down over the couch. Although that’s not something I would want to do everyday, it was fun during our short stay. A very small, but full functioning kitchen area and a cute little bathroom were all we needed.

Adding to the fun-ness of this apartment was it’s location. We went from family-central Wimbledon to hip-and-cool Camden. We knew we would want something super close to Rich’s work. I cross referenced that with the Fierce Grace yoga studio I was going to be attending during this time. We hoped we would end up near Camden, because we had visited the neighborhood a few times and fell in love. So this worked out just right.

Everyday Rich went to work, and I went to hot yoga.

We ate out almost every night – trying all of the restaurants we wanted – not worrying about kid meals or space for six.

And we have never felt more cool.

We went to the theater TWICE.

Living near the theater district, footloose and fancy-free, I was able to check the last minute ticket stall in the morning and score cheap tickets to Aladdin for myself for a matinee.

And together we saw Lion King from the Orchestra pit.

Since our studio didn’t have laundry, I walked around the corner a couple times to do laundry, and walked by a beautiful pastry shop in the process.

A short walk in the other direction was the always fun and trendy Camden Market, where I spent several afternoons.

This man hand-makes leather goods from his shop inside Camden Market. You can customize anything you want and I ordered this purse for my mom.

We also explored the Tate modern, since we hadn’t ever made it there.

Rich wanted to leave as soon as we arrived, but I really enjoyed being confused by the things we saw there.

We rode the water taxi for the first time, took in an outdoor light exhibit, and a rooftop botanical garden.

AND THEN – we took our final ride on the tube.

During this time in London, we also spent the weekend in Paris…. but that’s another story.

When I think about this time we had together in London, I think about how fun and extraordinary it was to make decisions for only ourselves. I think about the time I spent by myself during the days, doing as I pleased.

But mostly, I remember the quiet.

This time was gloriously quiet.

The perfect antidote to the chaos of our move.

Hello!

We decided to take a road-trip with our boys to the West Coast and back.

Here is that story.

The idea for this trip began as we were staring down an international move from London back home to the US. We were trying to get the kids (and ourselves) excited about the type of traveling we would be able to do around the United States. We were telling the boys about the national parks. Rich decided he needed to take nature-baby-Finn to the Redwoods and we simultaneously got invited to stay with friends near Portland. Plus, we wanted to do something “super American” to celebrate our move back. What better way to do that than to take a massive road-trip? We were excited at the thought. Honestly, we started thinking about this trip further in advance than any other trip we’ve taken.

Once we started getting down to the nitty gritty of logistics, we realized that we were going to be asking a lot of Vivian. And subsequently – even more of ourselves. Several long, long, long days in the car, late nights, early mornings, no potty breaks, a different bed every other night.

She’s four.

The big boys – especially – are at the perfect age for this trip. But, it just became clear that we needed to try to leave her at home, and give this one to the boys. For ourselves. For the boys. And for her. Vivian had spent her whole life in London, and our family didn’t get to see her that much. They stepped up big time to alternate time taking care of her. She got lots of needed one-on-one time with aunts, grandmas, grandpas, and cousins.

It worked out best for everyone.

And with that – we were off!

Our first check in with Viv. She’s looking and feeling great with Aunt Erika and Uncle Jake!

We drove first from Chicago, through Iowa and into Nebraska – where we spent the night.

We got up early the next day and drove to Wyoming were we met our first major destination mid afternoon – GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK.

Rich may have gotten a speeding WARNING along the way. Ooopps!

I was making peanut butter sandwiches in the front seat and didn’t even realize why he was pulling over.

Sorry Wyoming.

We stayed in a cabin at Colter Bay Village.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g143029-d101244-Reviews-Colter_Bay_Village-Grand_Teton_National_Park_Wyoming.html

I don’t know what else to say – THIS PLACE WAS AMAZING.

Colter Bay Village has cabins, camping and RV parking. There are also a couple nice restaurants, and a well equipped general store. By staying here only one night – I felt like we really hurt the village’s feelings. I mean – we totally did not get to do it justice.

But I was glad for the time that we had.

I can’t talk enough about how the air felt here.

I constantly think about it – even now.

We had been driving about 7 hours in the van. We pulled up at Colter Bay and I opened my door before we came to a complete stop. I couldn’t help myself I stood full-up on the floorboard of the open van door – so anxious to take in the scene.

“Rich! THE AIR! It’s incredible. You gotta smell it. Get out.” I said.

While I was throwing bags into the cabin, the boys discovered three deer right outside the door. I mean, the joy.

We had dinner at the village restaurant and went out for a walk around the lake.

The boys hunted for a bear. I did not.

The air was crisp and clean.

Finn said to me “Mom. This is like a whole different world. I can’t believe it. There are more trees than buildings.”

Harry pointed off in the distance… to the lake and the mountains and said “Mom. Is that real? It looks fake. It just looks so amazing, like it isn’t real. Like a movie set.”

….. it’s all real boys. That’s why we’re here.

These cabins were perfect.

No wifi, no cable. Warm and clean, 100 years old – and perfect.

We put the boys to bed and had some wine from the general store. Rich realized he was overwhelmingly tired, and told me he was nodding off before I got in the shower. Literally laying on top of the covers, he said “I think I gotta capture this sleep honey.”

“Go for it!” I said. “We had a long beautiful day.”

I got out of the shower and did some stretching. At about 11:30, I peeked outside and remembered that I saw something in the visitors center about the exceptional stargazing here. So, I slid on Rich’s shoes and jacket – the first I could find – and snuck very quietly out the door because I was sure the night sky was not-to-be-missed.

And I was right. It was clear and sparkly. The best I’ve certainly ever seen. I spent some time out there and turned around to head back in. It was at that point I realized, that – in my excitement to get outside – I forgot to bring a key.

I locked myself out.

Rich was A-SLEEP. Like, so asleep. So asleep that my increasing-in-volume knocks and calls from outside the bedroom window didn’t register with him at all. People were sleeping in nearby cabins, so I was remiss to make too much of a commotion. Instead, I opted to calmly remove the screen from the window and hoist myself in enough to grab a pillow and throw it at Rich. And, finally, I got him to wake…. barely. He was all like “What ARE YOU DOING!?!?!” “What IS HAPPENING right now?” “Are you hanging in the window?”

And it took him a good minute to wake up enough to realize what he was seeing… me – teetering on my stomach through the window. He roused, and let me in the front door. I felt genuinely bad about it, because I know how sweet it is when you get that just-right-natural kind of sleep. But, I also really wanted to sleep INSIDE the cabin.

Sorry, babe.

Anyways…. I woke up the next morning, and went out for an early run.

This was the view.

I got back to the cabin and declared “We live in the wrong place!”

I mean, the air alone.

C’mon.

But, we couldn’t dilly. This day was a big day. This day was Yellowstone National Park day.

I threw some snacks on the floor for the boys while Rich grabbed coffee from the store. And we were off!

Check in with Viv. Doing awesome!

And then we arrived.

And again – we totally, for sure, without a doubt did not get enough time here.

Now that I know what I know – ONE DAY – practically unthinkable.

A very pleasant Danish family took this picture of us with the sign.

They were leaving the park in their RV and they were getting a ‘good-bye’ picture with the sign.

They had just spent the week in Yellowstone, they said. And then they asked how long we were here. And we told them the truth. And they stared back at us – straight blank, in their little Danish accent said “Vu only planned vone day here?”

We didn’t know, OK.

Now we know.

We had a lot of other items on our road-trip list. We didn’t think we could schedule an extra night here because we wanted to get to Portland. We had no idea what to expect. So, we just did the best with the time we had.

We had heard the the geyser trail was a better bet than waiting on Old Faithful if you were short on time and/or had kids. We were both of those things. So, we did that. You walk along a slightly precarious walkway in and among hot springs, geysers (which Finn kept pronouncing “juysers”), and sulfur pits. By precarious, I mean that there are signs that say “if you step off this pathway, you may fall into a hot pit.”

We finished the trail ending with the Morning Glory pond and circling back around. We even made it back in time to see Old Faithful going off as we approached the trail head.

We had read on a couple of blogs that many people preferred the Grand geyser to Old Faithful. Because, they said, it put on just as good of a show and goes off just as often. We weren’t sure if we had enough time to wait for it, but it was right along the trail and everyone else was waiting. So we decided to wait as well. That’s the thing about waiting on Geysers. There is no schedule. You just have to wait and hope.

We got to watch the full eruption of this geyser up close, from start to finish. They boys were in complete AWE. Theo shouted the entire time. And after it was done Harry said “Mom, we’ll never see anything better than that.”

We were hot and tired after the trail.

The Old Faithful lodge to the rescue. With lunch and amazing atmosphere. We had tasty bison sausage and wild game chili.

Then we ventured in the car to the Lamar Valley area of the park, where we began to see sprawling vistas AND canyons too, somehow. I didn’t know the two could exist at the same place.

But they do in Yellowstone. It is an actual wonderland.

We saw the bison – up CLOSE and personal.

And we also saw a grizzly bear.

THAT’S RIGHT. A grizzly bear mama and two cubs. It’s very rare, from what I understand. People wait and hope for days to see a bear in Yellowstone. And three just sauntered right in front of our car. We were in so much shock that I didn’t get a picture. But I did get a video.

Unless we wanted to drive into the late late night, we HAD to leave the park.

We didn’t want to.

We left to the most perfect sunset, and contemplated how we could get more Yellowstone in our life.

We drove along the riverside. We saw a man in the river, wearing waders and overalls, leisurely fly fishing in the evening sun. Fresh air, mountains the distance, nothing but the sound of the stream. Nobody bothering him. Just taking his time. Breathing in the fresh beautiful air, in arguably the most beautiful setting on planet earth.

And that was his day. God Bless him. I hate him. But ya know, God Bless.

The entire state of Wyoming really took me by surprise. And honestly, I’m hesitant to publicly profess my love because I kind of want to keep the secret to myself so that no one else ever goes there. But, whatever, I guess that’s not fair to Wyoming. I love it there. And I don’t know why anyone else with a heart and soul wouldn’t also love it.

Once we entered Idaho the sun had set. And it started to rain, lightly. The boys were quiet. I has reading a book. I said to Rich “Is it raining?” He said “No. That’s bugs.” I looked up from my book…. “Ah, what? That can’t be bugs. It’s rain.”

No. It was in-fact, bugs. That were so thick that they hit our windshield like rain.

Bug Rain. It was so gross.

We poured ourselves into bed in Idaho. We got up bright and early the next morning to clean the windshield and then drive to our friend’s house near Portland. This day also happened to be princess’s official birthday, and she was spoiled by family accordingly – first by Aunt Erika with a custom made glitter “four” shirt and donuts, then by Grandma Susie with a bike, and by Great Aunt Patty who brought over a homemade cherry pie – because that is what Vivian had requested.

We arrived at our friend’s house, where Rich’s family was already staying. We spent the night catching up and drinking wine and trying to control the wild children – who (again) stayed up way past their bedtime.

The next day, our friends took us to a beautiful waterfall and then for an impromtu hike on Mt. Hood. The weather was amazing. The kids enjoyed being together and playing ‘the floor is lava’ along the trail of our hike.

Roadside GIANT ice cream cones for the way home. Yes, of course.

The next day, our friends took us to the most perfect beach. And our boys got their first glimpse of the Pacific Ocean. Even though it was slightly over-cast, and the ocean water was ice-bucket cold, we spent the entire day. It was so fun.

Check in with Viv – she’s got new nails and a new-found love for Banks, the dog.

The next day, our friends were gone for the day taking Rich’s family to Seattle for their flight home. And I’m not sure if I’m supposed to say – so I’ll just say that our friends MAY have left us a pass to the Adidas employee store. We had fun buying new Superstars for everyone, walking around downtown Portland, and calling it an early night.

The next day was another big day.

This day was pacific coast highway day and (hopefully, depending on time) REDWOODS day. Arguably Rich’s most anticipated day of the whole trip.

Along the way, we stopped in at at glass-blowing workshop and store, that I JUST HAD TO GO IN or I would die.

We also stopped at the sea lion caves.

Then, late afternoon, we arrived at Redwood National Park.

We spotted elk and found a place to park so that we could wander around a few groves.

And again – I would like to talk about the air.

It smells incredible in here.

Trees, clean and fresh. That’s it. It’s the best.

I asked the boys to all come over by the “Big Tree” sign for a picture. The big boys made it over. Then Theo, who was walking along the path shouted “Here comes the star!” and proceeded to jump and trip over some roots and land face down on the path. A mouth full of dirt, wood chips in his shirt pockets and two skinned knees kinda fall…

He was quickly cleaned up and set to rights, but he still talks about how he fell down in the Redwoods. Like – it was the most memorable part for him.

This is our van alongside the road – for scale purposes.

Again – we didn’t know what to expect here. We didn’t now how to budget time for it, and if we would need more than the afternoon. Of course we needed more than the afternoon, silly. We stayed in a nearby hotel, so instead of heading on over to our next destination first thing in the morning, we decided to return to a few more groves in the Redwoods before driving. It made our travel day quite a bit longer, but I’m so glad we did it. The trees needed us to come back and I needed to get some more fresh forest air. I put the boys “forest” clothes back on from yesterday, we ate breakfast, and we went back in.

I think this might have been the boys’ best day. They were just right at home. It felt so right to go spend more time with the trees.

Did you know people live in the Redwoods? I didn’t know that. There’s like, literally a little tiny town in there. Can you imagine that? “Oh ya, I live in the Redwoods.”

Anyway, it was so fun to see the evening sun on the first day at dusk, and then to see the morning sun against the trees. We had to pull ourselves away, and find lunch along the road. During the drive through California, we were treated to a setting sun and amazing views.

We arrived late to our hotel, again, with not much else to do but go straight to sleep.

And in the morning sun, we had a beautiful view of Lake Tahoe outside.

Before we get the day going, we’ll check in with Viv first. She’s continuing to live her best life.

We had done a little bit of sleepy eyed research the night before on where to go at Lake Tahoe. Reports said “Sand Harbor Beach”. They said it was peaceful and pristine. Crystal clear water and well equipped. The best cove on the north side of the lake. But they also said that parking often fills up and CLOSES by 8:30AM. Despite our late night, we decided we needed to turn around and get the early worm. I mean, what’s the point of doing it if you don’t do it all the way.

I managed to pack us up a cooler and beach gear for the day. I thought the water might be cold at 8:30 in the morning and that we’d probably want to secure our parking spot and then spend some time walking the trails before doing any sort of water-related activities.

Despite our best efforts, we arrived there about 9:00am convinced we’d missed out on parking, because the line to get in was, in fact, LOOOOOONG. But we got a spot, and it became clear that – along with a parking spot – we also needed to secure our beach spot at 9 in the morning. So instead of hiking around we found a little spot to set up camp. The boys did not mind any of this and were as happy as happy kids can be.

Yes, the water is really that blue and yes it’s really that clear.

The reports were right. It was absolutely perfect. I mean, I didn’t visit any other spots on the lake, but I can tell you this was the best one.

Theo didn’t want to kayak, and that was fine. So, we rented a kayak and took turns taking the big boys out. This was their first time doing such a thing, and they both fell in love and didn’t want to stop. Who can blame them?

In between these pictures of Finn jumping off the rocks, I would like to talk a little bit about HIS day here. I’m going to back it up…. all of my children are smart, but Finn is a little *extra* in the science/nature/animal department. He has an above average knowledge of living things. He can identify several different types of fungus on sight. He knows each species of otter and what they eat and where they live. I’ve seen him differentiate between extinct birds at the Natural History Museum. He knows how to cross breed snakes. I mean, it’s just a-lot sometimes. He’s also the most headstrong when he thinks he knows best. Like, the rules don’t always apply to him. And if he wants to do something, he will, and he doesn’t care about the consequences…. or safety.

So, this whole trip, he was in complete heaven. All the new outdoors sights and adventures. He saw new things and touched and smelled and learned things he didn’t know. Each time we pulled up to a new park, or grove, or trail, he would bust out of the van full speed READY. Out and taking it in and constant chatter and just going going going.

Like, “finally, this is where I belong. I HAVE ARRIVED.”

And we were happy to have him be this way… for the most part. But here at Lake Tahoe it was especially out of control. Every time we took our eyes off him, he was sneaking to the other side of the rock coves, getting too close to a cliff, going out too far in the water trying to spear fish. Upon arrival, he wanted to go into the freezing water with his clothes on. He wanted to inspect the trees and take bark samples. He wanted to dig in the ground and look for insects. He wanted to kayak. I wanted to kayak too, so we went. He wanted to jump off the rocks. So he and I went to the big rocks.

The ones that look like this:

So, I say to him “Finn, you and I can go on the rocks. But you have to stay within arms reach of me at all times.” He says “Finally, all that rock climbing I do at the gym is coming in handy. I know how to do this.”

I know these rocks don’t look that scary in these pictures, but when you’re actually out on them they are big and deep and hard. Like – if you fall from them, it’s the end of your day… or your head… or your life. Climbing on them carelessly is not an option.

He, of course, starts to get ahead of me. I say “Finn, back by me!” He says, “Mom. Why do you keep disciplining me? I can do this.” I say back “I know you can, I’m just trying to make sure you SURVIVE it.” And he continued on like that. And I felt like our job for most of the day was to make sure Finn didn’t die. Harry tried to keep up with Finn on the baby rocks and ended up scraping his feet up kinda nasty. And after that we were all feeling a little tired – physically and mentally.

So, mid afternoon, we called it a day. I was sad to leave our perfect spot and our perfect weather. But we HAD been there since 9 in the morning and I have to admit – the sense of relief I felt at having Finn contained again was huge. ahhh… oh my gosh – he was such a handful. We love you Finn. But the next time I take you to Lake Tahoe is when you are at least 25, or maybe when you have an unruly-nature-loving son of your own.

If there is sand in the cooler – that means it was a good day.

We get back to town and find a place to eat pizza. That sounds perfect.

And we ended the day with shaved ice. Which Theo tried and didn’t like.

The little strip of the town where we stayed was so cute. Quiet, little shops, restaurants and cabins. A nice grocery store where we stocked up, and a beachfront park.

Time to move on.

Let’s check on Viv – having fun!

We drove from Lake Tahoe to Provo, Utah. I don’t know what was going on the with the insect population at this time of year in the west. But, during our drive out of Lake Tahoe, we hit a short butterfly rain. This was even worse than the bug rain. Do they breed up there or something? I don’t know. Seriously, butterflies covered the road and flew all over the place and into our van. It was all very distressing for Finn – who directed RIch to slow the van down.

Anyway – we made it to Provo and spent the night. We woke up and had breakfast at the hotel. During our meal, a complete stranger approached us and complimented us on how nice our boys were. Saying “I know how much work it takes, and it’s clear you’ve done the work.”

A tear came to my eye; I was so touched by his compliment. I was gracious to the man, but in my mind I thought “They are only being so nice right now because they are dog tired.” Seriously, if you see a parent doing what appears to be a good job, and you think it. You should say it to them. Say it their face. It could make their day or their month.

Now to Colorado, on the way we stopped at Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park. We had only planned on stopping at Arches, but once I looked at the map and realized the Canyonlands was only about 20 minutes away, we added that to the day.

Our time here was fast and furious. And again – we didn’t know what to expect and we didn’t do it justice. We just hit a few major spots and moved on.

And let me tell you – on this day – IT WAS HOT. We pulled up to baseline 100 degrees.

This is the moment we jumped back into the air-cooled van. Did I mention how hot it was?

During the 20 minute drive from Arches to Canyonlands, Theo fell asleep, and Rich was oh-so-sad to stay in the air-conditioned van with him while I took the big boys to the first and only trailhead of Canyonlands that we encountered.

After about 5 minutes, Harry had enough and went back to the van.

But not Finn.

The heat, the rain, the cold. Nothing stops him if there is something to be explored.

We got back in the blessedly cool van and journeyed on towards our next stop.

I have to say, I don’t want to be throwing shade at Arches or Canyonlands – and I’m definitely glad we went because the scenery is so specifically unique. But, this was our least favorite. Again – I know – we didn’t give it a proper chance and we were so hot.

But there are CAMPGROUNDS here. People camp here. I couldn’t believe that. Who does that? Why?

I mean, obviously, I just prefer something else. I could see going back to Tetons, Yellowstone, Redwoods and exploring for DAYS. But here – I was glad to move on. I think alot of it was the pure seclusion that you feel. You drive in the desert for hours to get here and there’s just not much else. My anxiety was high as we arrived. And I found it hard to relax. I don’t know – maybe it would just take some getting used to.

But I just kept thinking “Where will we get water?” “And where will we go if Finn falls and breaks an arm?” Ah – it was scary to me.

Summary – glad we did it and I was glad to move on.

AND NOW – We were on our way to one of our most favorite spots on the planet earth – Breckenridge Colorado.

Let’s do one last check with Viv. I think she’s doing alright….

We blessedly left the dessert, and headed into the mountains. Since it’s sort of “off season” in the ski town of Breckenridge we were able to snag a two story loft apartment. Even at off-season price, this was a splurge for us. But since it was the last stop on the trip, we thought it would be perfect. And it ended up being just what we needed. A little extra space and a little extra quiet to cap off all the nights of sharing a hotel room. No one had to share a bed, so it was the perfect re-fueling two nights.

And in this picture – you can see the pure joy.

Theo and Finn were fighting over a stuffed bear they found on the bunk bed.

Even though that picture doesn’t show it – they were ecstatic upon entry to this place. They were ready to move in. Saying “This is the best house ever!” “Are we going to live here?!” etc.

We hope to return to Breckenridge in a couple years, and they already fully expect us to stay right back here.

I got up for the morning run, and again was greeted by beautiful scenery and wonderful crisp air.

And I returned home to Rich still wonderfully asleep and children lounging in their jammies.

Our place was right by the center of town, so I walked on down to get some things for breakfast.

Look how Starbucks looks in Breckenridge. You almost miss it!

Croissants from the French bakery….

After our wonderfully lazy morning, we headed out all together to walk around and just have a very leisurely day.

By afternoon, it started to rain (some how our only rain of the trip!), and we were ready to head back inside – cuddle on the couch for a movie, do some laundry, and relax for a take out dinner. We needed to begin the trek home the next day.

We left Colorado. Did one night in Kansas, and powered through to Illinois. And I would like to take this oppurtunity to thank the people who built playgrounds at gas stations.

We were so happy to be back with Vivian and she was so happy to see us and to tell all about her adventures with family. The next day, we gave Viv a proper birthday party.

And then, it was back home.

How special was this trip? A fun adventure on the road with our boys.

That’s the stuff.

And by the way – even with your GPS you still need an Atlas for this area of the country. I had one. I loved it so much.

And also – I feel like this trip was sponsored by Subway. That’s how much we ate there. Have your feelings about it – but we needed to NOT eat junk the entire time and Subway was there for us.

We’ll never forget it.

I kinda can’t believe that we did it.

I’m so happy that we did.

OUR FEET IN THE FOREST OF THE REDWOODS

OUR FEET AT THE LAKE TAHOE BEACH

OUR FEET IN THE RED DESERT IN UTAH

This trip started the same way as a few of our other adventures = with an episode of “Somebody Feed Phil.”

Phil, the host of the show, went to Bangkok and made a whole beautiful episode about it.

After watching a most magical hour of television, we declared that we would go someday. We started doing a little bit of research – price, locations, etc. and then put it on the back burner.

Also – like every other trip we’ve taken, this trip was fueled by our need to eat. I should disclose that, as of late, I have fallen desperately in love with Thai food. As in – I make Red Thai Curry once a week and just force my family to eat it with me and smile.

Everybody, eat Thai Curry.

Green or Red, I don’t care.

And then, eat Pad Thai.

Don’t question me.

So, anyway….

When I realized that we had a possible kid-free block of time to get away, that just HAPPENED to be during Thailand’s dry season, it was decided. We began our quest to eat in Thailand.

It was going to happen. I was going to make it happen. I didn’t care if I had to eat peanut butter and jelly for 3 months after. We were going. We worked out the logistics with the kids and booked a flight to Bangkok.

Well…. actually we didn’t just willy-nilly ‘book a flight.’ We actually pulled up the flight, found the times and connections, put all of our information in, and got ready to pay.

And then CHICKENED out and went to bed!

I talked to my friends the next day about it – they got me back on course. Rich came home and we booked our first-ever flights to the other side of the world. Honestly – we were terrified. It sounds easy, but it just wasn’t. Even though we were so excited – it’s just SO FAR. Far away from our home. Far away from where our kids would be. Far from our comfort zone. All of it.

Everything looks good on tv and on your computer screen. It’s easy to watch Phil or Anthony Bourdain. They have teams and people that help them. But for you there’s no real way to know what you’re getting into.

Every once in a while you have to do something that scares the bleep out of you.

I mean…. safely, of course.

But you know, “You only get to go around one time” and all that.

So, off we went. We flew from London to Bangkok, and I got a heavy dose of scary right off the bat with our ride from the airport to our hotel. I became CERTAIN that our cab driver was partially blind. The rear-view mirror had so many decorations hanging from it, he might as well have hung a disco ball. PLUS the entire back window was stuffed to the top with random things – so he couldn’t see out of the back. I’m not always like a super-stickler for the rules, but I’m not exaggerating – we broke multiple “road” “laws.” There was a lot of shoulder driving.

By the time we pulled into our hotel, I was actually vibrating with terror. Anyhoo – we survived, and resolved that we would take public transit back to the airport even if it took twice as long.

By the way – we booked Thai Airlines for this. And I give them a huge thumbs up. Really great service, food, comfort. Two meals – served quickly. Then they blessedly LEFT US ALONE – so we could attempt to sleep. Which if you haven’t done a big flight, is not always the case. There was a foot rest and a good seat recline. The stewardesses changed clothes midway through…. Everything, awesome.

Our hotel had a rooftop restaurant and we decided we should probably eat dinner there.

Ga.. it was so swanky. They had a chair for my purse.

And they served pretty food. And it was all really good.

The staff at this hotel was so over-the-top. I know they are just doing what they think is best to stay competitive, but I have to admit, I was borderline uncomfortable.

Everywhere we went around and inside of the hotel – we were escorted. And when I stood up from dinner to go to the bathroom – I cringed a little because I knew that some one would materialize next to me and escort me to the bathroom.

And sure enough, someone did.

Halfway through our meal, they asked if we would like to switch tables to one with a ‘closer view.’ The table they suggested moving us to was, like, a table and a half in front of where were already sitting and there were no other people in our way. The weather was beautiful, our food was good, we ALREADY had a great view, we were very relaxed and  comfortable. We declined their offer – twice. But they insisted. Someone picked up the purse chair. A few other someones magically appeared and moved everything else, and I just floated to another seat. Then they asked if we would like them to take a new picture of us. Why not at this point…. so, here we are at our new table.

Now – I’m not digging on the service people AT ALL. They were amazing. Rich and I have both been servers. We recognize and appreciate good service. And although I felt like they were slightly up-my-butt, they were so kind and genuine and smiley that it was hard to hate it that much.

The great thing about Thailand is that the pound (and the US dollar)- go  VERRRRRRRY far here. We would have never stayed in a place this outlandishly luxe in Paris or Rome. But here, we can afford it! And we can pretend to be fancy, and nobody even knows we’re not!

We had just a teeny bit of jet-lag going on. Despite our long travel day and dinner, we were up and ready for the day at about 3:30am. Body clocks are a bitch. This gave us time to be productive, however. Rich sorted out the purchase of a vehicle for us in Illinois, and car insurance while I researched what we should do for the morning.

Then, we were able to take full advantage of the breakfast buffet right when it opened at 6am.

AND THE BREAKFAST BUFFET.

You guys.

You don’t even know.

I could gush and gush for DAYS about this breakfast buffet. It was seriously unlike anything I’ve ever seen in person or on tv. Better than anything in Vegas. Just, seriously, probably the best in the entire world. And since I was too shy to take any pictures – because of the staff army – I won’t really go on about it anymore here. But, just imagine the most beautiful, decadent spread of food. From every asian and European culture. And then add sushi, freshly baked naan. Then a while-you-wait crepe, waffle, and pancake stand. Then an order-your-egg stand. Croissants that rival Paris. Then a PIZZA OVEN.

I still can’t believe it.

I mean, you don’t know what to expect from a “breakfast buffet” in Bangkok, you know?

The setting of the breakfast restaurant too. GAAAA.

Poolside – 20 stories up.

So, moving on – inside the hotel everything is sparkly and amazing and outside at street level, around the corner, it looks like this:

Obviously quite a difference.

The the extremely luxurious right up next to the run down.

For the morning, Rich wanted to go to the Chattachak Market. It’s a famous weekend market that has everything under the sun. It’s also a good dose of culture. The elevated train provided us with a great view of the city on the way.

We only went the wrong way on the train one time.

The city is absolutely sprawling. And again – there would be a high rise next or a sparkly shopping center butted right up against a shack, slum, or dark alley. It was hard for me to get used to.

We arrived at the market and stopped at the first stall we saw serving Mango Sticky rice. Mango Sticky rice was on the absolute have-to-eat list. It’s a sweet sticky rice, served with fresh Thai mango and a little bit of ice cream. This really isn’t something we can get -or even make – at home. It’s so special and so Thai. WE LOVE IT LONG TIME. As we went on with our trip, and continued to eat Mango Sticky rice daily…. sometime twice daily….. we realized that this first one was the best. They were all excellent. But this one, the way they’ve got it layered so you can eat it while you walk – gives it the edge. It all melts down on top of itself and YUM yum YUM YUM!

This delicious dessert for two set us back $2.

We ate and wound our way around the vast market.

Endless stalls. Some touristy things, but mostly not.

Just a lot of everything, crammed in like sardines.

Rich wanted to stop and try the fried octopus. This was his face before he tried it. Doesn’t he look happy? He was not happy after he tried it. Haha – not everything in Thailand is delicious.

We meandered around. I bought soap and art and trinkets for the kids. Then we found our way to the food area.

And this, right here, where the ducks are hanging down dripping fat – and you might spot a few fire hazards – is where we ate lunch. In the middle of a loud, crazy, food hall.

Pad Thai was our first, natural choice.

What it lacks in presentation, it more than makes up for in taste. Holy moly.

We split this, and that was a mistake.

Anyway – plate of delicious freshly-made-by-expert Pad Thai at market = $1.89

We left and took the sky train. Then we walked back to the hotel, where I snuck a couple pictures of how street food looks.

Walking the short distance from the SkyTrain to the hotel, we passed 5 massage parlors. They had their services and prices posted out on the sidewalk. We started doing the conversions in our head… they were offering 1 hour massages for about £8 ($10). Normally – I wouldn’t have considered such a thing in such a place. But thankfully we had done our research. Thai massage is like a hotdog in New York or beer in Germany. It’s what the people do. It’s a culture thing. They are offered on every corner of every street. Prices are low and quality is high. I mean, if you want, you can pay for an expensive massage – inside your fancy hotel. It will cost four or five times as much. But if you want to be one with the people.. and your wallet, you get an authentic Thai massage for $10 down on the street.

And that is exactly what we did.

Our feet were a little tired from the market and we had just enough time for an hour massage to refresh us before our evening activity.

We walked into the massage parlor and ordered a couples massage. They took us to one of the rooms and then shut the curtains. There were two mats on the floor and a little pile of clothes on each mat. The clothes looked sort of like medical scrubs. They were the color tan. We took a guess that maybe we were supposed to put the tan scrubs on. I still don’t really know if were supposed to, but we did. And then the Thai people entered and began.

I quickly learned that Thai massage is very…..stretchy…. in comparison to other types. My little lady bent me all kinds of ways. She sat on my back and pulled my arms backward. She put her feet on my thighs and pulled my feet up. Since we were on the floor, that gave her all kinds of access and leverage. I mean… it was like a part rub down and part extreme stretch. It was foldy and bendy. 

As soon as I realized what we were doing, I was worried about Rich. He is NOT the most flexible. This is known. I was worried he was going to be in so much pain. I turned my head to look at him, and when I did I saw a small Thai man crouched on top of my husband’s back. Pressing and pressing. Working hard into Rich’s shoulders. Rich had his eyes closed so it was hard for me to read him. But he made a few grunts…. and only one cry of pain. If you had a tight spot – those people found it. Like a blood hound. And then they just “massaged” it until you cry. I remember willing myself to relax my trapezoid. “Just relax it. Melt it. Just melt it. Smooth it out. She won’t find it. She won’t. Just relax the entire area. Please don’t let her find. AH! She found it. It hurts so bad. Jesus Christ! How strong is this lady!”

At the end, each masseuse sat on the floor and cradled our head in their lap.

Sounds intimate. Because it is. But you just let them do that. You don’t question it, ok. They hold your head and they massage it. 

When all was done, I felt relaxed and loose with only one real tense spot. And surprisingly, Rich felt good as well. He admitted that it hurt, but that maybe he’d like to go again tomorrow and ‘get better at it.’

This whole experience cost us about $28.

Our afternoon/night activity was a Chef’s Tour of the backstreets of Bangkok. I heard about this from a blog I read. Turns out, it’s INCREDIBLE. Instead of visiting any other “tourist” places in Bangkok, we placed our priorities in eating. We figure that’s a good dose of culture. Knowing where and what to eat on your ONE DAY in Bangkok is completely overwhelming. This tour had great reviews, and we had booked in advance. It was a no-brainer for us. I’m so glad I found it.

We took a TukTuk to get to our tour meeting spot. And, I was much more relaxed in that than in the cab.

We met our tour group – which literally consisted of 3 other American couples – in the China town of Bangkok.

We met in a hotel on this major road. Then our guide rounded us up and took us around the corner. When they said the tour was ‘backstreet,’ they meant it.

This is our tour guide. His name is Nuuht (pronounced Nut) and he’s been a chef for 20 years. He also grew up right in China Town. When he took us to this first stop on the tour, he introduced the woman behind the steaming pot, and told us she’d been making him noodles right here since he was 8 years old. Can you believe that? And, naturally, the noodles she served us – cooked somehow right in her little back alley corner were incredible. It was a wonderful way to start the tour.

Our guide proceeded to lead us around for FOUR HOURS and we absolutely ATE OUR FACES OFF. Somethings were better than others, I will admit. And some things were so spicy we really couldn’t even eat them. Some of us on the tour did better than others. We had… maybe 17 different things… Tea, Dumplings, Guava fruit, more noodles!, soy sauce ice cream, chicken, wheat grass, pork, more, more, more, and more. And then, finally, Mango Sticky Rice of course.

And Chinese donuts with green vanilla sauce served from the only donut cart in Bangkok to receive a Michelin Star.

We ate most meals outside, on the side of the road or in an alley either on a chair or a stool or crowded around a small table with our tour friends.

In between all the food stops, Nuuht took us through shops that were preparing for Chinese new year, and into a temple, and a history museum.

Being a local that grew up in the area, Nuuht was knowledgable about the culture and the food. He would tell us about the history of the dish we were being served and often tell us about the family who was making it – lots of whom were his friends. He had water bottles for us, which was thoughtful and needed in the heat. Obviously we ate things we’d never eaten, but I was shocked at how many sights and sounds and SMELLS we experienced that neither of us had ever seen/heard/smelled before. We walked through alleys with absolutely disgusting mystery smells. And then we’d turn a corner and smell the most delicious curry kabobs being grilled on an open flame.

Nuuht had a helper person who went ahead of us and waited in line, ordered the food, and procured chairs, stools, or a table for us. We were really really glad to have all that help because most of the menus on the street look like this:

A few highlights of the tour…

We rounded an alley corner and Rich saw this man pulling up noodles, and goes “Oh, I hope we’re eating those.” And we were. And we did.

This was the family run stand where “worker noodles” are served. Named worker noodles because they charged all of 40 cents for a giant bowl of noodles and pork. So they attracted all the workers. Pure gold are the work noodles. I’d pay good money for the broth alone.

A surprisingly delicious treat: soy sauce ice cream!

Towards the end of our tour we walked through a market street that was closing down for the day. It was quiet. And in one of the cramped little shops, the owners were huddled around a steaming noodle pot, eating dinner with their two girls dressed in pink and grandma on the side.

It made me so happy to see it. I creeped a picture of them so I could remember it forever.

This is our group of adventurous eaters.  At the end of the tour, at the only proper table we sat at all night.

When we were done, it was night-time in China town. Which meant a whole new level of crazy.

I have never eaten so much in a four hour time span. I felt like I was on some sort of competitive eating show. Needless to say, when all was said and done, there wasn’t much else we could do but take a TukTuk back to the hotel and go to bed.

Here is the link to the tour we took:

https://achefstour.com/tour/bangkok-food-tour

We were always able to talk to the kids before we went to bed, because our night was their morning. They were living their best life.

We woke up the next day and spent the morning being leisurely and eating the amazing buffet again. We had a flight to catch, but not until 1:00. And, despite my vow to never get in a Bangkok cab again, we decided to get one back to the airport. Second time – not near as bad.

The hotel booked us a limo driver. That’s a technicality.

We were heading out of the hustle bustle of Bangkok down to the “islands” of Thailand. More specifically, Phuket.

The scene here was quite different. On the way to our resort, it looked basically like this:

(Yes, your eyes are correct, that’s a scooter with two adults, a child, and a new born actually in mothers arms.)

So anyway – once again the contrast was stark between the resort areas and the surrounding areas. More stark of a contrast than I anticipated to be honest.

Phuket is a big island with lots of different style beaches. We weren’t sure if we wanted a lively party beach or a calm secluded one, so we split our time there in between two hotels.

We checked into the first resort, which was supposed to be the upscale, calm, retreat style beach.

We had a little meal. Curry and mango sticky rice, of course. Even though we were in a “luxe” area, we decided to stay at a lower priced, more basic, resort. We caught a good deal, of course.

The beach was calm and beautiful. And the room was stark, but functional.

After our meal, Rich wanted to try to find another inexpensive massage. So, we went out on the (slightly dangerous) trek down to the street in search of a massage parlor. We found three immediately. We entered the third one we found and booked an hour massage. For the hour for both of us was about $40, including tip.

I even snuck a few pictures.

And to keep me honest, I took a picture of the prices.

These massage prices were a little bit more than we paid in Bangkok – assuming because we were out on the island. But, regardless of the price increase from the city,  we got folded and molded and stretched for second time. This one did not have uniforms for us to wear, but did include ear flicking.

And afterward, Rich said “I want to come back here again tomorrow. Get another massage. And I’m going to win next time.”

I strolled through a Seven Eleven…. even in a small island in Thailand, a few American comforts can be found.

Ok, then we returned to our room for the evening.

And this is where our plans started to changed a little.

There were ants in our room.

Not a big deal. It’s a tropical island. It’s part of the deal. The staff came and sprayed.

The end.

And then we got up and went down for breakfast.

And it was stale pastries, questionable food sanitation, and basic drinks.

There wasn’t much I felt like I wanted to eat.

We forged on.

The Thai laws are very strict on beach chairs, so I had bought these blowy-air-up chairs at SevenEleven. The trek down to the beach involved climbing down rocks.

But this beach.

I mean, forget it.

All beaches are public in Thailand, and this one definitely felt like it.

As we sat on the beach at our secluded, discount luxury resort, we found ourselves disappointed.

And I asked Rich “Do you want to consider switching hotels?”

Without hesitation, he replied “Yes.”

Here’s the thing….

The food did me in. Our first meal in the restaurant was only ok. It was really expensive and service was terrible. The one and only terrible service in Thailand.

Then, breakfast was terrible.

I don’t mind being in a “basic” hotel. And I wanted to be in a secluded location. But, if I’m secluded, the food has to be great. If my only options are expensive, slow, restaurant and stale bad breakfast – I’m not happy. The only other way for us to get food was to trek back down to the street… on foot, on a narrow non-lit, non-sidewalk, on the side of the road.

The beach was beautiful. But the climb down to it was rocky and hard. (by the way – the reviews said this. But I figured since we are young and kidless, we could handle it)

The room was fine. Despite the no-fuss decor, and the ants, I would’ve probably stayed.

But it was the food. When we woke up to that (sorry people) terrible breakfast, I felt despair and disappointment. I know what you’re thinking “Of course you hated it, you just went to breakfast wonderland in Bangkok. Duh.” And that is not it at all. This breakfast was bad all on it’s own.

The whole thing. It’s just not we were looking for. In order to be this secluded – we just needed more.

So, we finished up our time on the sand and went back to the room and booked a different resort for the next two nights.

Done.

We went back down the dangerous road for some GOOD food because we were starving. We asked the people at the massage parlor where to eat and they pointed down the street to this place:

This was the view while we ate.

I know it doesn’t look like much. But, as is often the case, looks can be deceiving.

It was a family run little place. With the son working the tables and the mom working the kitchen. Behind me, Grandma was doing laundry.

Mom working in the kitchen knows how to crush some Pad Thai.

This time we ordered our own plates. Smart.

And fried shrimp.

Whole meal, drinks and tip = $14

After the meal we got another massage.

Winning.

Rich declared himself the winner of his massage this time.

Then is was time to pack up our things and make the switch to our new (hopefully completely amazing) resort.

There was definitely an awkward moment or two telling the staff we were cutting our stay short and that we didn’t need a ride to the airport, but just to another resort up the road… ah… ya…

Now…. we may have over-compensated for our disappointment at the first place.

Within 10 minutes drive of the first “resort” was another beachfront all-bungalow style resort. We pulled in.. You know that scene in Home Alone 2, where Kevin first enters the Plaza Hotel? It was like that. It was the most luxurious place I’ve ever been. Bangkok hotel included. The whole lobby area was just open. Like, no walls or windows, just open to the outside all the time because that is the level of paradise that we are dealing with….where your building doesn’t even need walls.

The staff was incredibly accommodating – but never too much. The resort had a pool and beach front access – with chairs. They cleverly got around the “no stuff on the public beach” law – by creating their own little beach inward of the actual beach line. There were little poles marking the beach line, and they set their chairs there, and then every morning pulled out low-slung sand-colored bean bags onto the actual beach.

And just in case you needed, they had a few kayaks and a catamaran for guest use. For free. And there’s a library so you can go pick out a book to read on the beach.

The placement of this resort was also clever. It’s technically public, but since it was built into a cove, access to it is virtually impossible from the side. This helped us to feel more secure leaving our belongings on the chairs if we wanted to go for a swim together. Which we did.

The water is JUST FINE.

When you are ready to head back to your room, which is a bungalow on the side of the mountain, you just climb the stairs until you arrive there. Or, if you prefer, you could ask the front desk to drive you in a golf cart back to your room.

The details in this place were off the chain.

Little fruits and fresh flower bracelets. A beach bag, fans, sun hats, and umbrellas. Bug spray and aloe if you need it. The whole room and the towels smelled like eucalyptus. The little flowers in water made the bathroom smell like honeysuckle. Events and amenities. Free Yoga.

Cookies for turn down.

I mean. It was ridiculous.

If you are somewhere for just three nights, you think “Oh it’s just three nights, we can skimp it.” But I tend to think the other way “We’re probably never coming back here. We already came all the way to Phuket. We don’t have the kids with us, so we can be selfish. It’s only three (or in this case now two nights) we should go all out.” Plus, in Thailand the food and activities are way cheaper than normal. So, splurging for a nice resort is much more doable. As I mentioned before – super luxurious is within reach of normal people like us, in Thailand.

After the switch, you couldn’t wipe the smiles off our faces.

The front desk told us that there was a beach barbecue happening tonight. And we said “Yes, sign us up for that please.”

We relaxed in our beach chairs while they were setting up.

Oh by the way, here is where you can rinse your feet if they have sand on them. We wouldn’t want anyone spraying any sort of water hose. So you stand here, and you ladle yourself out some water to rinse your feet as if that is something you do all the time.

Also – side note: I’m writing this nearly three months after traveling. It’s exhilarating going back through my pictures and notes to put this blog post together. But that’s nothing compared to the fact that I have stubbornly, knowingly, NOT removed my nail polish. Clinging on to every bit of it any way I can.

Ok, back to the beach.

Then, of course, we came back to attend the party. There was a little light on my menu. So I could order a drink in the dark. It’s the little things, man.

They had everything out here on the beach. Impossible things.

And the staff…. They had to drag all this stuff out there. And keep it fresh. And keep the pests away. And take my plates away, and drag them all back inside. It’s not lost on me what it must take to put something like this on. And they were so happy and genuine.

And again, I was blown away by Thailand.

Checking in again with the kids. They couldn’t be having a better time.

Back to Thailand – early in the morning I walked myself down the beach, where yoga was held.

It was blissful, as you can imagine.

Then, I met Rich for breakfast. With high expectations.

I was not disappointed this time. We are on an island people.

How does this happen?

After that we went out for the day. The resort helped us hire a driver for the day. He picked us up at the hotel, took us first to the temple, then to the Big Buddha, then to a regular indoor shopping center, and then back to the hotel. He would park and just wait for us to be done at each location.

We had him for 5 hours and he charged 2,000baht. Which is about $60.

No brainer for us.

First up, the oldest Temple in Phuket.

Outside and around the temple, it’s crowded with stalls.

Coconut water, like that…. gross. We saw all these other people walking around with them. Rich wanted to try one. Big Nope on that. Tastes like feet, if you ask me.

Avoid gross coconut water, enter temple. Appropriate attire must be worn. Shoes must not.

Then it was Big Buddha time.

From a buddha temple to a shopping temple.

Lastly, our driver took us to the shiniest shopping center on the island.

I added to my trinkets for the kids collection, grabbed some coffee and headed back.

Instead of having the driver take us back to the hotel, we had him take us to our little street restaurant. Since our new resort wasn’t far from our old resort, we could be dropped off here, and walk back.

This time I ordered Green Curry with a banana smoothie, and Rich went with Pad Thai again. And this time, Grandma was coming out from what I assume was the shower… or maybe the sauna, walking across the restaurant in just a towel. We were sad that we weren’t returning here.

Whole meal = $12

Grandma show = Free

Rich went back from one more massage, while I walked back to the resort for some beach time.

Then, in the evening it was time to dine out on the beach again. This time, at the beach restaurant. It’s not your usual surf-side fare.

We woke up to another beautiful day and another beautiful breakfast spread. And then soaked up a few more hours at the beach.

But, then it was time for us to move to another part of the island. The supposedly more “happening” beach side. As we drove north, the area was definitely more developed. Just, a lot more access to regular things nearby. As we pulled into our resort, I immediately loved it, but it definitely had a more ‘happening’ vibe thing going on.

The lobby continued with the no-walls theme.

We took a walk around. The grounds, the beach, coffee bar, everything, beautiful AGAIN.

At the front desk, they told us they had bikes we could take out.

We like to do that. So we took them out and rode through a little nature preserve. Came out on the other side at a shopping center.  There, we ate a chain restaurant. We should’ve known it would be terrible. Yuck. It was.

Back to the hotel for a good night’s rest… because we had booked the sunrise island tour. Now, yes, we’re on an island. But this tour is out to the itty bitty little islands that surround the big island. It’s called “island hopping.” It can get pretty overrun during the daytime regular hours. So, this early tour was recommended to us to fight the crowds.

Also – our thoughtful hotel arranged for a breakfast box to be waiting for us in the lobby at 4:30am. Since, we weren’t able to partake in the breakfast buffet. Sad.

Our tour picked us up at our hotel and drove us to the Marina – all in the dark. And as we finally were heading out to the first stop, the sun began to rise.

Tour provided snacks and water for the first stop.

Then they took us to two snorkeling spots on two different small islands.

We like all that.

We were able to snorkel around coral reefs, and at one point the guide (underwater) brought a puffer fish over for us to hold. We’ve got it on video.

Then is was time to head to the swimming cove.

Our tour guide was so great.

Taking pictures for us and pointing out wildlife.

Then it was time for our last stop, on a little beach with a restaurant.

By the way – food here. Not good. We’ll forgive it though.

This time.

I had been super worried and precautious about mosquitos the entire trip. They like me more than most. I did spray and wore bracelets and I didn’t have any bites the whole time. But here. On this little island. I had too much fun and I let my guard down. I came back with three mosquito bites. But, thankfully, nothing else.

And back to the boat with our left over fruit.

We were back at our hotel by 3:00, which was another perk of doing the sunrise tour. We had time for a little siesta on the beach with coffee, and shower before dinner.

Then, as if they were trying to compete with each other, THIS resort had a beach side barbecue. With a show!

Then back to the room for a chat with the kids who just woke up. We’ll be home soon!

Last morning. One last extravagant breakfast spread.

Happy happy joy joy.

And back to the Phuket airport.

Where we fly to Bangkok.

Then from Bangkok, back to London.

We stayed the night in London, grabbed the rest of our belongings from storage at Rich’s office and flew to Chicago.

Upon landing we drove a rental car to the car dealership we’d been already working with.

In our newly purchased van, we drove downstate in the snow and ice.

And little bear was the first to greet us in the morning.

Needless to say, we loved the whole thing.

I HIGHLY and a-millions-times-over recommend traveling to Thailand. Even though it might scare the bleep out of you.

Here’s where we stayed:

Bangkok Hotel:

https://www.lebua.com/tower-club

First Phuket Hotel (budget):

http://www.surinbeachresortphuket.com/

Second Phuket Hotel (bungalows):

Home

Third Phuket Hotel:

https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/hktbr-renaissance-phuket-resort-and-spa/

WHAT.

It’s the end of the year again.

We did ALOT this year… so I’m just going to dive right in.

We started the year with a little bit of snow, which rarely falls in London. Needless to say, it was exciting.

Viv started off the year STILL in her high chair, which is hard to believe.

It’s since been removed from the house and given to another family.

And we are now a house without a high chair.

Onward and upward!

Also at the beginning of the year, Theo was in morning Nursery. Which meant that he got to come home in the afternoons and play. I usually required him to play quietly in his room while Vivian napped. And if you ask him… that’s what he did.

But… pictures tell the story of what really happened in the afternoons.

As in all the years before this, the kids favorite toy remains the same: household items.

Like… uhrg.. why do we even buy them “toys”?

With imaginative play still being at the forefront of how they spend their time together. They like to play store and school, and travel and pirate ship, and most recently “HOUSE SIMULATOR” Not “House.” My computer-nerd-raised children play “House simulator” where they give themselves awesome fake names like ‘Sophie’ and ‘Tyler.’

Every once in while they get to make a mess with Playdoh….

and rice…

And sometimes I let them go crazy with the craft boxes.

Which – most of the time. Not all of the time, but MOST of the time results in armor or weapon construction.

I don’t encourage fighting. I don’t know why they are constantly preparing for battle.

——————

We feel ourselves creeping out of the baby/toddler phase and into the fun-time kid phase; which is great because we can move away from Candyland and into more challenging games. Turns out, all the kids are natural gamers. Harry and Finn -especially- are able to understand complex rules. So we introduced them to Settlers of Catan. They can now play, and *legit* win. And I’d put Theo and Viv up against anyone in a game of Memory. It’s such a fun phase to enter with them.

Competitiveness is high. Sportsmanship is low.

But…. we’re working on it.

I discovered an adorable youTube channel called “Cosmic Kids” that does absolutely adorable (and fun themed) kids yoga sessions. I try my *hardest* to push it on all the kids, with Theo and Finn being my best participants.

Finn and I had a day date at our favorite place – Kew Gardens. Where we explored the seasonal Orchid display, the temporary dried flower art installation, and the permanent collection of wood and paintings by Marianne North. We had the best day.

Daddy took Theo for a morning adventure to the Natural History museum.

Vivi was (and still is) really into wearing as much jewelry as possible and riding her scooter. Watch out! She’s fast.

Other around-the-house favorite pictures of mine:

Finn surprised me with a highlighted mustache one day.

The kids who were not spies.

Vivian clawed the chocolate out of a chocolate pastry.

Viv decided these two guys were perfectly suitable friends for Anna and Elsa….

We took the babies to the pet store, while the big boys were at a Rock Climbing course. We rode in a car. It was all very exciting for them.

Then we have some featured books, science information, and artwork.

Then we have our March birthdays:

Daddy first:

Then Theo:

All throughout the year we continue to use and love London’s public transit system. And I always think the kids look too cute on the bus and the train.

On Spring Break we took the kids (back) to Paris, and to Paris Disney. There’s a whole other separate post about that. It was a great family time. And I’m still dreaming about the croissants.

The Hamilton Gods smiled on us AGAIN. Somehow, I won the ticket lottery and we got to go see it for a second time. From the front row. We loved it just as much the second time around.

Then, we had a random mini-summer in the middle of spring.

Took advantage of that.

We started ATTEMPTING to garden.

We got back to doing our favorite thing… hanging out in the green.

Then, Harry went on his residential. Which is basically like going to camp for a few days with your entire year group from school. Praise the teachers.

We made sure he was prepared.  He’d had several sleepovers at friend’s house. He practiced showering on his own. He was excited and nervous, and he was only 8, but he went right on. And he had a great time.

While he was gone Grandma Janice and Papa Greg arrived!

One of the days he was gone happened to be his birthday. They put a banner on his door and sang to him in the mess hall, and made him feel special.

And when he got home, we celebrated too.

This leads us to half-term break, which is a week we get off from school at the end of May. For this we ventured with all the kids, and Grandma and Papa, to Hamburg, Germany and Prague, Czech Republic – both of which have dedicated posts.

I can’t speak highly enough about this trip. We had a truly GREAT time.

Then we went into summer…

I got to come into the Nursery garden one morning.

We played in the park some more.

We explored the expansive woods and green at Wimbledon Common.

All the boys had the traditional British Sports day. Go Green House!

Even the parents get involved. This is the dad’s relay. Every one is a good sport.

Theo asked if he could “go stand in the flower bed” and I was like, “Ok….. sure…”

And when I turned my head, it was too late.

We went to Ikea. I told the boys they could only buy the giant animals if they were willing to carry them home themselves.

Ipads and naps.

Theo – one of our trickiest eaters – tried (kids) Sushi and chicken curry.

Finn got attacked by a wasp. But still has nothing but love for them and only good things to say about wasps. He told me why the wasp felt threatened by him and had to sting him. NEARLY RIGHT ON THE EYE.

I refused to buy Finn a £5 tub of Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream at the store, offering him lots of other options instead. I mean, I just didn’t feel like paying £5 for that tiny tub. But then he played his trump card and told me he wanted to buy it with his allowance money. So he did. And he stretched that tub over three or four nights, declaring each time that it “WAS SO WORTH IT.”

Gotta always play in the dustiest corner of the house, near the power outlets.

Then in June – sunshine Finn had his turn.

On sunny days, we’d get out the wading pool for Viv and then she’d join me for a little yoga and light sunbathing.

And we also have morning cuddle time.

I had breakfast with an old friend, in town from the US. Hi Mel!

Finn’s class had a “graduation” from Key stage 1 (which is years Reception, 1 and 2). Those are his best buddies Hamza and Leon.

We had a few special visits to the kids *favorite* restaurant, McDonalds.

Then mom came and her and I ventured to Amsterdam for a girls weekend, and then she stayed with the kids so Rich and I could have a weekend in Barcelona. Both of those trips have separate posts.

Ok! Then school ended for the year and we promptly left for our summer visit to the USA. This trip also has it’s own lovely post.

Then we returned, with three weeks to spare before school picked up again. Getting re-adjusted to the London time zone was hilarious with breakfast being lunch, and lunch being dinner and everyone generally confused. The first day Rich went back to work, the kids and I all casually slept until 11:30. Whoops! Once we got better adjusted we fell into a better groove.

The summer weather in London is something I prefer. Warm, but never too hot. So – for most of our remaining summer, I usually stuffed a bag of food and drinks, our giant blanket, and we went to the park mid-morning and stayed until the kids told me they wanted to go home. Which was usually NEVER, or sometimes at 4 or 5 in the afternoon.

While taking this (above) selfie, Harry’s exact words “Mom, we’re so energetic!”

“Yes, lol, Yes you are.” I said.

While in the US, Vivian turned three. But I realized when we got home that we didn’t take her obligatory number picture. Better late than never.

I had seen some pictures and done a little reading about this Lavender farm outside of London.. so I arranged for us to have a morning there. And although the Lavender wasn’t quite as Lavender-y as we had seen online (blame the dry summer, and our late-season visit) it was still fun to be outside exploring a new place.

And! The kids got to mingle with the royals.

Then it was time to head back to school. Our school has staggered start dates for the younger years so that each child ‘can have plenty of attention on their first day.’

But, it’s not that way in the older years – so the big boys started together on the first day:

The following week Theo and Vivian got their turn:

And now – the whole crew goes all together to school in the morning.

And EVERYONE is very very happy.

Finn’s class had their performance fairly early in the year.

And as usual we were very impressed.

I arranged for us to have a family photoshoot. The pictures are so special to me that I made a separate post. We caught one of the last sun-filled days of fall, and we had a great time.

In the fall Finn also (FINALLY) learned how to ride a bike. And I don’t have any pictures because I was to busy running beside him.

While Finn was getting his “bike riding lessons,” Theo insisted that he have lessons as well. So he did. And now he can ride a bike too!

Viv is still on her balance bike. But by summer, I’m confident we’ll have four steady bike riders.

Then is was time for Halloween, which is a little down-played here in London, but still lots of fun. The school hosts a “Monster Disco” for the kids, and all the boys very happily attended it. And, on Halloween night I stayed home to hand out candy, while Rich took the crew out. He stayed out much longer than I would have, for some pretty epic trick-or-treating.

Right around Halloween, Rich’s company solidified it’s future plans – which meant that he was needed back in Chicago. For a change in role and a big move-up in the organizational chart. We weren’t expecting it. We thought we’d have a couple more years in London. But, it doesn’t really matter. Rich couldn’t pass up this oppurtunity. We have been incredibly happy in London. The kid’s school is amazing, and we’ve met so many wonderful people. We are so sad to leave, but equally excited for what’s ahead in Chicago.

Over Thanksgiving, Rich’s mom came (back) to visit, and to stay with the kids while Rich and I hopped over to the US for a friend’s wedding. Love you Hollee and John.

Then Rich and his mom travelled to Brussels for the day, where they ate lots of fries and chocolate.

And on Grandma’s last day, we squeezed in an afternoon tea together – girls only.

Then rib dinner with just me and Finn.

And a unscheduled lunch and shop for Vivian.

Another thing I had read about and heard about for a while was this beautiful Hindu Temple IN LONDON. It is called the Neasden Temple and it is the real deal. It was built entirely by the community and is completely hand carved. At the time is was completed, it was the largest Hindu temple outside of India. This visit had been on my “to do” list since we moved to London and I came across it in the London Pass booklet. But I kept pushing it aside because it was a little bit of a trek – a little over an hour, and a couple switches on public transit.

But now that I knew we were leaving, this became very important to me. It’s not likely we can take the kids to India anytime soon. But this, we could do. How special to be able to expose the children to this amount of culture right here in London.

Once inside the rules are strict.

No shoes, no pictures. But let me tell you – it was incredible on the inside.

I got these pictures from Google:

And they sort of do it justice.

Intricate wood and marble carvings like you can’t believe.

We were welcomed in with open arms by easy going, warm people that commented on how cute the kids were. The kids, like the adults, were expected to follow rules of where and how to sit. But they did. And we were lucky enough to attend a short Hindu ceremony while inside.

Then, in early December my brother and his babe came to visit. We love spending time with them and we went out for amazing food and an escape game.

Then, all together, with Ike and Bailey, we went to Christmas at Kew. For the third year in a row. It didn’t disappoint.

Then, it was time to visit Santa. I let the kids decide what to wear for such an occasion. Viv wore her best Christmas dress, Finn and Then went with pajamas, and Harry went with his favorite cargo pants.

Then, because of our move timeline, Santa made a small drop at our house a little early.

Then we had to go back to school and wrap things up.

Then Grandma Susie arrived!!

And we took the boys to the British Christmas tradition – Pantomime. This year’s show was”Aladdin.”

After the Panto, it was time for one last Sunday Roast at the Pub.

Then on Christmas Eve, mom and I took Viv for afternoon tea.

And we met the boys at church. And we tried pretty hard.. but no one was in the picture-cooperating mood.

Then on Christmas day – I finished packing up our first load of bags while Rich made a delicious Christmas dinner.

And the day after Christmas Mom and I took the kids and 12 bags to the airport.

We flew to JFK, went through border patrol, took all the bags off the luggage carousel and had them carted to the domestic carousel. Went through security AGAIN, and boarded a second plane to Indianapolis. Once there, a driver picked us up in a massive three-rowed van and whisked us to my parents’ house.

It was an ABSOLUTELY EXHAUSTING day. But we did it. We survived it with no major incidents. Nobody threw up, nobody pooped their pants, nobody threw a major fit.

The planes were on time and so were we. And although it was probably the most tiring day I’ve ever had, that travel day couldn’t have gone any better.

Once we were safely at Grandma’s house and had a good nights rest, we began Christmas-ing more properly.

Now. That was all of 2018.

I LEFT THE CHILDREN at my parent’s house and flew back to London on New Year’s Eve.

And that completed phase one of our move back to Chicago.

With Rich’s last day (in London) in the middle of January, it didn’t make sense for the children to return to school. So we decided it was best to send the children on home to America.

I landed and joined Rich in move-out mode.

We tirelessly worked. He patched holes and re-hung doors that we’d removed.

I sorted and sorted and sorted.

Similar to our move to London, we got rid of EVERYTHING.

AGAIN, we are moving light. Because the cost of sending our goods over the ocean doesn’t outweigh the gain, we’ll start over again in Chicago with a new house and new furnishings.

I prioritized and we packed up a few boxes of absolute essentials that we shipped over ourselves.

FedEx came and picked up our boxes.

Cleaners came for the End of Tenancy Clean.

Property management checked us out.

And that was it, our time in this London home was over.

Rich and I moved into an AirBnb in North London so he can finish up work. We are looking forward to a footloose and fancy-free time, where we can really enjoy each other and our last few nights in London. Then we will join the children in Chicago.

——————————————

KID WORDS____________

“Mom, this is the goodest thing ever!” Vivian at Christmas

——–

“Mom. It’s good that Captain America can drink alcohol and not get drunk. Because adults like to drink wine. Especially strong muscular adults. That’s who I always see drinking wine.” Harry

——–

Viv brings me books: “Here mom I brought you these books.”

Me: “Great! Do you want to give some to daddy”

Viv: “No. These are just for us. No boys.”

——–

Theo: “LITERALLY!?”    “SERIOUSLY?!”    “NOT FAIR!”

——-

“Mom, there are always new things to discover.” Finn

——–

Vivian (riding her balance bike through the house) “I’m super cool!”

Theo, to her “No, you’re super beautiful.”

——-

“Grandma’s house is huge. Made for running around… which is weird because grandma and grandpa don’t run around as their special talent.” Harry

——–

“Mom. Do you know how a star-nosed mole traps its prey? I’m gonna give you a clue.” Finn

——–

“I hurt my feelings” Vivian

———

“I’m looking up facts about pigeons” Finn

——–

Me: Can anyone name a country or a city in Europe?

Harry – Scotland!

Finn – France!

Theo – Captain America!

Theo – Joe!

Theo – I really want to go to the park

——–

“I’m worried because I really need to start deciding what I’m going to be when I grow up. I only have 9 years left.” Harry

——–

“I wonder what Viv is going to look like on her next evolution.” Harry

——–

“We’re so energetic” Harry. Referring to himself and his siblings.

——–

“You need a butt to poop and to sit.” Theo

——–

Harry watching Mr. Rogers “I can tell this hasn’t had very much editing.”

——–

Me “How was your day?”

Vivian “Sparkly and fun.”

——-

Me: I’m sorry you can’t have any TV before your nap today.

Viv:  YES!

Me: No, sorry.

Viv: I’m gonna cry! I’m gonna wake you up!

——–

Viv “mom. I really love daddy.”

——–

Finn, talking to the Google home “Hey google, play SWEET guitar music.”

——–

Viv, after putting the bean bag RIGHT in the door way. “This looks like a good spot!”

——–

“Did you clean that all by yourself?” Theo, to me

——–

“You don’t want to be a princess, Vivi, you want to be a pirate!” Harry

——–

“I’m proud of my life and I like who I am. I have the greatest mom and dad and siblings.” Harry

——-

“Mom do we have any jet packs?” Theo

——-

“Mom, I need a hot second.” Finn

——–

“It’s gonna be awesome when we have a giant rocket ship.” Theo

———

After 45m swim assessment “How bout we top this off with a little more swimming.” Finn

——–

“The birthday boy is pooping” Theo – on his birthday.

———-

“So, when we go to Paris, I won’t have my popsicles right?” Finn

——–

“Nobody’s respecting me when it’s close to my birthday” Finn, 20 days before his birthday, not wanting to go to bed.

——–

“My room needs an upgrade” Harry

———

“Mom. Minecraft was invented a long long long time ago…. in the 90s!” Finn

——–

“I’ll take care of the babies tonight mom. I can tell you’re tired. I’ll put their pajamas on and put them in bed.” Harry

——–

“You have to get up in the MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT to help Vivi? That’s so awful for you!” Harry

——–

“I’m gonna turn into a wolf soon.” Theo

——–

“I don’t like my eggs with dirt on them.” Vivian, referring to pepper on her eggs.

——–

“Can you please read a book to Viv?” Me

“Ok, but I gotta get paid.” Harry

———-

“You’re forcing us to do this!!” Finn, after I sent them outside to help Grandma shuck corn.

——–

Viv orders at a restaurant “Yes. I would like strawberries and blueberries and cherries.”

———

Finn sees two dead bees next to each other of the ground. “Look mom, two dead bees. Right next to each other.”

Me “Maybe they had a battle.”

Finn “YA! A battle to the death. It was a tie!”

——–

HARRISON ______________

Harry is smart and awesome and kind and sensitive. He had a year of continued growth in school, with his teacher saying that “He’s quite the mathematician.”

He loves being in charge. Of anything. But especially, he loves to be in charge of whatever he is playing with his siblings – he’s the head creative on tent building, the shop manager, and the ‘dad’ of playing house simulator. And, for the most part, they are happy to oblige. And he loves each of his siblings so much.

He likes to create – books, cards, anything. And he’s very typical-first-born type A. Saying things like “organize and collection are my two favorite words mom.”

He is hilariously analytical and often applies logic to simple situations like video games and playing in the park.

“Mom they add these songs to Roblox to add interest and enjoyment.”

And he came home from the park, where they had built a “base” within the trees, to tell me the strict advantages to letting other people into the base. “Mom, it makes us more creative. We have more stamina. And we can build more things.”

He’s also oddly good at explaining his emotions and they often just spew out of him. He’ll tell me “I’m feeling stressed out about my new swim instructor” or “I’m feeling really nervous but also excited about going to residential.” And he’s also quite sensitive – often having a tear in his eye during the sad parts of a movie.

We took a big step with him this year and (after MUCH begging and conversation, and him telling us he was the ONLY one in his class without a phone) got him a cell phone. He was so happy he cried when we gave it to him.

He’s so much fun and we love watching him grow.

Harry Birthday Interview

How tall are you? About, nearly 5 feet tall.

Now that you’re NINE what’s different? I don’t know. Nothing.

What’s your favorite food? Donut.

Who is your favorite friend? Loic.

What do you want to be when you grow up? Still thinking about it. Maybe a builder or a toy maker. I think both of those jobs make a lot of money.

What does daddy do at work? He works on computers and he fixes them.

What do you like best about Daddy and Mommy? That daddy will play video games with me. And then, you always make good meals.

How strong is daddy? Really strong. He’s ripped.

What’s mom’s favorite thing to do? (Harry asks me back):Is it cooking? Is it taking care of us?

What’s your favorite thing about Finn, Theo, and Viv? Finn – that he’s really funny. Theo because he’s really honest. And Vivi because she’s really cute.

What do you think of girls? I like the girls in my family, but the rest – like in my class or in the world except for Pippa (piano teacher) – I don’t like. And I like Marta and Dori. (sitters)

If you could have a super power, what would it be? Super human strength. Because then you can jump really high and that’s basically flying.

What’s the best thing that happened to you this year? I don’t remember that well. When we went to Paris was the best thing.

Where do you want to go on vacation? Japan, because that’s the most common place where they make toys. Because all the toys we have say ‘made in China’ and all the Pokemon cards are really cheap there.

Are you going to get married someday? don’t know. well I’ve been planning if I do, but not if I don’t. I would buy lots of fancy stuff and I would buy whatever she liked. That’s why I want to make lots of money. And getting children by intercourse. That’s all.

How do you make cookies? You need chocolate chips. That’s the main thing. You need dough. You need milk. Then I don’t know. That’s the three things you need to make it.

Can you tell me a joke? I don’t know know any jokes. hahahaha

What do you know about God and Jesus? That they are special to us. That they’re our father. And that God is Jesus’s dad. And that God can do lots of powers and he lives in heaven and Jesus was born in a cabin. And then God is in our heart. There is different religions that believe in God. That’s all I know.

FINN____________________

This year Finn has grown is all sorts of ways. He’s his funny little self. He’s naturally quick-witted, often understanding jokes that go over Harry’s head. He’s charming and smart. When I sat down with his teacher for his conference, she just flat said “I love him. He’s so funny.” Like Harry, he’s creative and loves to draw. And also like Harry, he’s a natural math whiz.

He LOVES to swim. So, we’ve kept that going. And he loves nature. So, we’ve kept that going… as if we had a choice.

This is him, climbing trees at park. “Mom I need a stick to make a prehensile tail. Marmosets have tails just to balance. But monkeys have prehensile tails to use as a fifth hand. So I need one so I don’t fall out of the tree.”

Me: “Well, you are a human. And I’m not sure if we can fashion any sort of tail that will work like you need it to.”

Finn: “I would live my whole life in a tree if I could.”

If you get him on his own, then you get the full encyclopedia. He will pepper you with questions and facts about all kinds of things in no sort of order.  “Mom. Let’s think of food chains.” “Mom do you know the difference between a Llama and an Alpaca?” “Do you know how much an ant weighs?”

I’ve had several IN DEPTH conversations about snake breeding with him.

One of the things that excites me most about him this year is his love of all things food. He wants to make food and try food. He’s always requesting new things he wants to try, unique and fun things. He wants to try it all. And he likes a little bit of spice – he loves to use Siracha and mayo to make his own dipping sauce. Like… we have to have it in the house now all the time. I think we have a future foodie on our hands.

Birthday Interview:

How tall are you? 41cm, oh sorry, 1 meter. I’m one meter and 41 centimeters

Now that you’re SEVEN, what’s different? ah, nothing.

What’s your favorite food? BBQ ribs!

Who is your favorite friend? Hamzah

What do you want to be when you grow up? Um, biologist.

What does daddy do at work? Fix computers

What do you like best about Daddy and Mommy? The best thing about daddy… um… is um… he gives me video games on my ipad. And mommy gives me snacks after school and every Friday you give me treats.

How strong is daddy? Strong enough to carry me and Vivi and Theo

What’s mom’s favorite thing to do? Yoga

What’s your favorite thing about Harry, Theo, and Viv? Harry – plays with me on RoBlox, Theo, plays with me every time in the morning. Viv, when I make something she tries it out.

What do you think of girls? I don’t know. um… I don’t know.

If you could have a super power, what would it be? To turn invisible cuz then I could sneak up on Theo.

What’s the best thing that happened to you this year? My Birthday! Hahaha. No! Daddy and Mommy give me my ipad. Swimming at explorers hotel with daddy.

Where do you want to go on vacation? I want to go to Mexico because it’s a hot place. No, I want to go to Japan because they make really yummy candy and they make really fun video games.

Are you going to get married someday? No. Easy… because I don’t want to smooch. Because I don’t want to have a baby.

How do you make cookies? You have to have sugar, chocolate chips, … I don’t know. Mix them up then you put them in containers, then you put them in the oven. Then when they’re done you push them in your mouth and then you’re going to laugh with excitement because you’re so happy that you ate cookies.

Can you tell me a joke? “Do you want to hear a construction joke?” “yes” “I’m still working on it, hahahaha”

What do you know about God and Jesus? That they are very important and that they made us.

THEO___________________

Theo is so much fun. He has gone through a lot this year. Going from half-day Nursery to full-day Reception (with lunch!) really forced him to grow up a little bit. After adjusting, he really thrived.

He is our most natural social butterfly. He is quick to make friends. And lots of them. He came home from his FIRST DAY of reception and told me about his best friend Fred. And he and Fred remained best friends. And he is friends with Oli and Frasier and Joe and Seb and Santiago and India and everyone else. And when he sees them on the street he says “HI SANTIAGO!!” He insists on playdates with friends. Getting together with a friend after school is the highlight of his week. And he already asks to have sleepovers.

His teachers say he’s fun and friendly, considerate of the other kids and one of the best picker-upers. He is zooming through phonics and LOVING that he is starting to be able to read, like the big boys. He loves to practice reading any way he can.

He loves to go out – whether it’s to the museum or just to the store. He’s weirdly good at “Look and Find” books, patiently looking until he finds Waldo or whatever. He can keep up with his brothers playing almost anything, but he also loves to hang with Vivian. Of all the boys – he’s the most musically inclined. The only thing he wanted for his birthday was a guitar, and he loves trying to play it. He has natural rhythm and he loves singing songs, and dancing.

Theo Birthday Interview

How tall are you? 4

Now that you’re FOUR, what’s different? giraffes and T-rexes

What’s your favorite food? eggs, no chips!

Who is your favorite friend? Fraiser… and Joe

What do you want to be when you grow up? Seven

What does daddy do at work? He builds. A tower.

What do you like best about Daddy and Mommy? He helps me do Mario 3D world. And mommy, cleaning, because you tell me I have to clean with you.

How strong is daddy? I don’t know. Stronger than an jellyfish.

What’s mom’s favorite thing to do? I don’t know…. Oh ya, cleaning.

What’s your favorite thing about Harry, Finn, and Viv? Harry tells me to play with him and gives me presents, Finn tells me I have to watch him on his computer, Viv plays with me.

What do you think of girls? They have long hair.

If you could have a super power, what would it be? Fast fly! Fast starts with an M

What’s the best thing that happened to you this year? Fraiser let me have some playdoh, and then I gave him some.

Where do you want to go on vacation? Paris! And have some fun.

Are you going to get married someday? Ya. When I marry a super hero, I will fly to the sky like a bird.

How do you make cookies? First you need sour. Then you need chocolate chips. Then you need chocolate oatmeal. Then you put in a pot and it turns to a chocolate chip.

Can you tell me a joke? “How did a worker save the boys?”  “How?” “Going to Pizza!!” …. Uhhh, it’s funny. That’s funny.

What do you know about God and Jesus? It means when a kid gets stronger.

VIVIAN__________________

Vivian is so sweet and so loving and so fun. She’s grown and changed so much this year. She loves to talk and sing and do whatever I’m doing. She’s almost perfected her potty training and she still loves her nap. She loves pink and flowers. She loves going to the cafe for afternoon tea. She loves to go shopping. And although she’s increasingly ‘girly’ she loves to jump in and play with the boys. She started morning nursery five days a week. And although she started off being really shy, she began to open up and make friends by the end of the term.

Vivian started noticing the mole near her eye, often thinking it was dirt on her face. We named it her ‘cutie mark,’ just like on “My Little Ponies.” And now, she doesn’t worry about it. However, we did have it officially evaluated by a specialist. It’s healthy and beautiful.

She loves her dad. And he loves her. One day Rich came home with flowers for me. But she spotted him the minute he walked in the door and screamed “Daddy brought me flowers!! Look mom, Daddy brought me flowers!!” And she was so happy.

Another day, I bribed her with chocolate to help Theo clean up the unusually-large mess they made. I never bribe them to clean up, but this time I did because I really wanted her to help. She didn’t help. I bribed her again, but she still didn’t help clean up. Theo finished cleaning up the mess by himself and received a piece of chocolate. Vivian was then, of course, very upset. But I told her that she couldn’t have any because she didn’t help Theo clean up. To which she replied, with tear filled eyes; “Daddy dit me chotate!!”

When I tell her no, she says “Daddy says yes!”

When we walk into the store during the day, she says “I bet daddy’s in here. Daddy?! Daddy!?”

Her brothers dote on her just as much as Rich, and I think we’re in serious trouble.

MOM FAILS                      

making coffee without water

making hot water without coffee

making coffee without a cup underneath

check out at the local grocery store without my wallet – TWICE

laundry mat with no laundry soap – TWICE

————————————–

And that’s it!

2019….. ready or not, here we come.

For a while now, I’ve wanted to have our photos done.

Like, OFFICIALLY.

But I was lazy about it. I was bloated from having the babies, and didn’t necessarily want to be memorialized that way. Rich is never excited when I speak the word ‘photoshoot,’ even casually. And, honestly we were traveling a lot so it always got pushed to the back burner.

My pictures of the children tend to look something like this:

Obviously I could use some help in the picture department.

In addition to that, in the fall we learned that we were moving back to the US. This meant that a “family photoshoot in London” shot straight to the top of the to-do list.

I searched for a photographer, and honestly was intimated by my ‘big city’ options. I didn’t know if I would find someone that would understand our family and be ok with chasing energetic children around who DON’T and won’t “pose” for you.

Can’t stop. Won’t stop.

And I don’t want them to pose anyway… because then it would be fake.

But, with enough persistence, I found our perfect match.  I can’t recommend her enough.

http://www.margaritakarenko.com/category/family/

Margarita…. the goddess of photographing children. You are the child whisperer. We shall create a shrine and bring gifts of chocolate and cameras to your feet.

Margarita embraced the craziness with patience and laughter. Often, good-naturedly asking me “Is this how they always are?” She set a relaxed tone and captured each child perfectly.

I stressed for a few weeks about our outfits and the weather, and if the kids would be warm enough if the weather changed. I always knew I wanted to have our photos taken in the fall, because I think it’s the most beautiful season in London. But the season is also hit or miss on sunshine and rain.

All of that worry was wasted however. We showed up at Tower Bridge in the morning to an incredible morning sun and mild temperature. The weather held, and the children loved being out in the city. Aren’t they always the best when they are free and outdoors?

I don’t know how to say anything else without being totally cheesy.

But, truthfully, it was magical.

I mean, they went almost an hour without asking for a snack.

That’s some photoshoot magic.

We started out in a green space adjacent to Tower Bridge and London City Hall.

And we got a few pictures in, before the boys requested to be dinosaurs for a little bit. Margarita went with that.

This is the moment that Theo got a bloody lip.

Because we don’t go a day without a bloody lip.

Margarita asked us to jump. And we did.

Rich was next to Theo and upon jumping – whacked him, mouth first, with his heavy duty watch.

Then we ventured up on to the bridge, where Margarita asked us to ‘walk naturally”:

And then I asked if we could flex our muscles.

Because we do a lot of that.

Then she took turns focusing on each child.

Quickly and efficiently, I must say.

This was on the definitely more candid side… but I just like that Theo and Viv are naturally holding hands.

Then we walked down and around and back under the bridge on the opposite side from where we started. And the boys continued being themselves.

Daddy found a second to swing Vivian around, and it was the first time all morning she let out an unguarded laugh.

It was about this time that Finn settled into his newfound friendship with the photographer and started confidently telling her about different types Piranha species, as well as other types of marine life she would find in the Thames river.

Then we walked around to the docks.

I don’t particularly love this photo, but I do love that Harry, unprompted, decided to make air-hand pistols.

And we’re back to being incapable of a nice natural smile….

A little bit more total candid.

But I love it because Finn is always, ALWAYS, the first to go digging for a snack.

And don’t worry about Theo…

Much to my surprise, Margarita pulled the kids again for individual shots by the phone booth.

And if you thought that while each child was getting individually photographed by the phone booth that the other three were just sitting nicely on a bench waiting for their turn – then you need to get the heck out of here.

I mean, there was a turtle made of stone.

Irresistible.

And, this is Harry, trying to decide (as usual) if the other three are unruly hooligans and he needs to help and calm them. Or if he just wants to join them.

And Theo holds the phone upside down.

Even though he’s never seen a phone, he miraculously know’s it’s for talking – just doesn’t know the specifics.

And then we’ve got Tiger Princess.

With her stare. That she gives us ALL THE TIME, and in many situations.

We’re almost done. Harry’s over it. Finn is still high on the attention, and Viv didn’t want to be held – so she’s acting like a human bag of flour.

Theo remembered he didn’t get his turn to play with the leaves and Viv decides she’s ok with being held if she can play with my hair.

And, as we were packing up to leave (and dishing out reward snacks) Margarita caught one final moment.

To celebrate and commemorate our time as a family in London, I couldn’t have asked for anything more.

Thanks kids, for being perfect.

And thanks Margarita.. for also being perfect.

We moved to London in 2015. I made a quick trip home for my brother’s graduation, and we flew to Vegas for Rich’s debut in the World Series of Poker. Other than that, we have not been back to the US. And the kids haven’t been back at all.

Our family has been amazing about making visits to see us in London the last three years and I haven’t been enthusiastic about taking two toddlers on an 8 hour plane ride. We’ve been so happy to have so many visitors. But this year, with Vivian reaching a more palatable-plane-age, we decided it was time.

If I had known that we were going to be moving back to the US in 2019, I may have changed our plans. But, you know what they say about hindsight.

Regardless – it was so much fun. The kids were great little travelers, and it was great time spent with lots of family.

——————————————————–

Just getting out the suitcases.

Rich wasn’t able to take off work just yet, so we arranged for Grandma to fly with us.

Then we landed and breezed through border patrol.

Theo was so excited when we got off the plane (who can blame him) that he ran full speed down the jet-way. We were some of the last people off the plane, so the hall was empty for him. I warned him. I know him. He’s clumsy. And sure enough, after a second at top speed – splat – massive face plant. From the sound it made – I anticipated upon reaching him, a broken nose. Seriously. It was awful. I looked awful and it sounded awful. He didn’t even use his hands to break his fall. Nothing broken, thankfully. Just a good bloody nose, rug burn on the forehead, and airport staff checking if we needed help.

We were all good after a trip to the bathroom. And because he’s a kid, he was practically fully recovered by the time we got in the car. And there was only a little bit of face burn left to show.

Then, Poppa Scott picked us up!

And we began the drive from Chicago to Casey.

Within 20 minutes, Vivian declared she didn’t like her carseat and wanted to get out and walk.

By the time we made it to Casey, all four children had fallen asleep.

It was a really really long day.

We spent the next few days relaxing and hanging out with family.

Then we packed back up and drove to Michigan. My dad drove a big truck – with me, Viv, and Theo. And mom drove her car with the big boys. We mitigated the whining in the car with donuts and ipads. And before we knew it – we were there.

My parent’s rented a GIANT victorian in Holland, right near the center of town. It worked as the perfect base for our time there and had pleeeeeenty of room for everyone. Everyone – meaning – my parents, the 6 of my family, my sister’s crew plus the nanny she lovingly brought, and my brother and his girl. Rich was conveniently brought from Chicago by my brother.

We began our time in the Michigan sun with a trip to the nearest beach.

Mom, thoughtfully brought along our beach essentials – a giant peacock and a giant unicorn.

And we were quite the scene on the beach with these.

We have three consecutive July birthdays – 29th, 30th, and 31st.

My sister celebrating 29 again. My brother celebrating 21! And Vivian celebrating 3!

It was fun to be together to celebrate each one.

We spent a beautiful morning at a park along the river.

And this is my one and only picture of our lovely angel-nanny Kelsey. She was amazing with the kids. She was on hand as an extra set of hands at the beach, and allowed us to have adult time every evening. We went out kid-less for beer and pizza for Ike’s birthday, sushi for Erika’s, dinner at a restaurant on the lake, dinner at a local Bavarian restaurant, and a night out at the Coast guard festival the next town over. It was such a special treat for us to have her come along, and made our time in Michigan so relaxing.

Thanks Kelsey. Love ya.

We went jeeping on the sand dunes.

This was my first time for this, and it was really fun.

More beach time.

All the kids enjoyed the beach, but Vivian was especially in love. She kept herself busy working with the sand while we were packing up, thinking we wouldn’t notice her and wouldn’t make her leave. But, sadly, we did have to peel her away.

And we finished the week out with a boat day on the lake.

The kids (and the adults) loved it.

Then it was back in the car, for a drive back down to Illinois.

Our destination – Mattoon, IL.

To spend a week with Rich’s family.

……Where we spent two more days on the lake.

We took all the kids out on the first day, and it was so much fun.

Then, on another day, Grandma stayed home with the kids so we could have an adults-only lake day.

I only have pictures of the kids boat day, and I think that’s a good thing for everyone involved.

The kids repurposed their sandwich bags as “aquariums” while playing on the lily pad.

And that entertained them for a loooong time.

Also while here, we celebrated Vivian’s birthday again and went out for Rich’s mom’s birthday. We attended a family reunion, and a party at the house with old friends. I met up with several girlfriends in the area and did some shopping at Old Navy! and Target!

It was so great to see everyone and have some downtime here.

Newsflash – the summer is really hot in central Illinois.

Naturally, we spent more time playing in the hose.

Then we spent time at a local wildlife refuge.

For our animal-loving kids, this was a real highlight and big surprise for them.

Our time in Mattoon came to an end. And, with sun-kissed faces, we headed back up to Chicago to prepare for our flight back to London. Rich’s sister let us borrow her van for the day, a friend loaned us car seats, and Rich’s mom drove us up.

We drove around the city for a little while, just to take a few peeks around. Then headed out to the airport where we had booked a hotel for the night.

A little swim.

A comfy bed.

Then, wake for an early morning flight.

We, of course, go through the international wing and I wanted a picture with the cool globe and all the flags. But we couldn’t stand here all day because we were sort of in everyone’s way and we needed to get to our gate. So I had to settle for the most terrible picture of them.

Whatever. I tried.

We took the “daytime” flight out of Chicago. Which leaves mid-morning, but lands in London at midnight. The line at border patrol was enormous despite the late hour. Some wonderful airport employee saw us with our four children, and plucked us right out of the border patrol line and put us right up in the front. Saying “Children don’t need to be waiting in line at this hour at night.”

It was almost too good to be true.

But it was. It was true.

We passed through in – I’m not even exaggerating -10 minutes. Saving us at least an hour in line. I wanted to feel bad for all the people left back in line. But, listen, we’ve served our time in the border patrol line, ok? Just let us have this one. With no guilt. And that’s what I did.

Upon landing, you think all the kids would be tired.

But that’s not how it works.

While waiting for our bags, they played wrestle mania.

Our taxi was patiently waiting on the other side of baggage claim and we cruised home in the silence of London at midnight.

Where we were solidly turned around for a good 7 days, and this is the kids eating Cheerios for dinner because we were all messed up and didn’t have any food.

And that’s that.

We did it!

AND we had a great time.

Mom came to London to visit this summer.

We love that.

And, as we have done the last three summers, we wanted to plan a little girls’ weekend somewhere fun. We asked Rich to go on kid duty and we decided that we’d like to go to Amsterdam. Now, I’ve been once before in the spring of 2016 with the kids and my sister and her family. It was a really great trip. But it was, however, slightly grey and cold – similar to London in the spring. I could tell then that, like London, Amsterdam would be incredibly beautiful in the summer. Ever since, I had hoped to return to Amsterdam in the summer. So this was my chance. And I knew mom would love it.

We decided it was best to take a late night flight Friday, which landed us in Amsterdam around mid-night. We weren’t sure if it would be wise to travel into city center on our own this late at night, so we decided it was best to book an airport hotel.

This hotel was physically connected to the airport by an indoor walkway, and it was really great. And super convenient. The airport hotel offered luggage storage and was less expensive than staying city center. In Amsterdam, this is a great choice because you can just walk back to the airport terminal and hop a 30m direct train to city center. Then on your check out day, you just leave your luggage downstairs (in the safe room), head into town for however long you have until your flight. When the time comes, take the quick train back to the airport, grab your bags and head to your terminal.

It makes things so easy.

Big win here.

First thing Saturday, we booked ourselves a Hop-on-Hop-off bus tour of the Dutch countryside. It was easy to get into town from our spot at the airport. We walked through the airport to the train, then took the 5 minute ferry across the river to the bus meeting point.

From there we hopped on!

First stop, the fishing village of Vollendam.

Here we walked the shops along the harbor, started our cheese journey, and we ate some fried fish. I got fried mussels, and mom got white fish. They were crispy and slightly greasy and oddly filling  – and with that little bit of vinegary mayo. YUM!!!!

We hopped back on the bus and hopped off again at the quiet little town of Edam. Edam is known for Edam Cheese. This one was slightly off the beaten path and we got a little turned around walking here. It was so empty it felt like we were almost in the wrong place – or like we were intruding or like we were on a movie set. There were, like, no people in sight and barely any sounds. Everywhere we walked was still and so quiet. Maybe because it was Sunday? I don’t know. But mom and I both fell in love. If I were to ever look for property in Amsterdam – I would begin and end with Edam.

As we approached the center of the village – we started seeing a few other people. Mom chatted with the cheese shop worker and bought her first cheese. I poked around in an antique shop and found a vase to bring home. We got a little lost (again) on our way back to the bus stop. But, we managed to find it and soon enough a bus came to pick us up.

The last stop of our tour was at the Zaan Schanse. Historic windmills and little green houses were moved here to recreate an 18th/19th century Dutch village. There is also a shoe making exhibit, museums, livestock, and of course – shops.

From here, we hopped back on the bus and went back to city center. From there we walked to our dinner location. Amsterdam has really great Indonesian. When we came here before – my sister found this little gem. Called “Aneka Rasa.” The menu is split into two options – Regular Table, or Vegetarian Table. You just pay by the person and they fill your table with the tastiest food you ever did taste.

MENU

Full bellies. Check.

Train. Airport. Back to bed at hotel.

The next morning, we took our time getting out of our room and had a nice breakfast at a restaurant in the airport. Then we took the bus to the other side of town, so we could begin our *Rick Steves* recommended walking tour of the city center.

We started by the museums.

Visited Van Gogh.

From there, we got a little confused (again) about the bus routes, but straightened ourselves out and made it to our destination – the floating flower market. Then we walked down through the Dam Square and over to the Anne Frank house. We couldn’t get tickets to go inside because they sell out far in advance.

We ate some delicious fries.

And dutch apple pie.

And the sun was out.

And the flowers were blooming.

And everyone was riding on their bikes.

And it was great.

We needed to catch our bus back to the hotel/airport. But before we did that, we had a little bit of time to kill. However, we were also pretty tired from walking around and didn’t feel like doing much else.

Enter park nap.

I have noticed through my adventures to other European countries, that lounging in the grass of a public area is quite common. Just laying down – right on the grass – for a little nap. We located a big beautiful green space, near our bus stop. And sure enough, there were tons of local Amsterdamers just laying in the grass soaking up the perfect weather. SO. That is exactly what we did as well. And it was glorious. It was just the refresh we needed before heading back to the airport. Ahhhh… yes yes yes.

I mean, just in general, Amsterdam is SUPER walkable and easy. It makes for a relaxing time. The food is great. The scenery is beautiful. I would be happy to return again.

And I would probably stay right at the airport.

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Where we stayed:

https://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/netherlands/hilton-amsterdam-airport-schiphol-AMSAPHI/index.html?WT.mc_id=zELWAAA0EU1WW2PSH3Cluster4DGBrandx&WT.srch=1&utm_source=AdWords&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=paidsearch&sitelink=1&sl=Amsterdam-Airport-Schiphol_B&campaignid=115605363&adgroupid=30783838083&targetid=aud-346991724370:kwd-302484512590&