Sarah: Mommy, Sarah means princess.
Me: Yep, that's right.
Amanda: Mommy, Amanda means unicorn.
Me: Um no, no it doesn't.
Sunday, November 15, 2015
Friday, November 6, 2015
Kid Quote of the Day
"I hate my Tooth Fairy, I want a new one!"
- Amanda, after finding out that the Tooth Fairy left glitter on the pillow of one of her classmates. Way to make it difficult for everybody else Ainsley's mom!
- Amanda, after finding out that the Tooth Fairy left glitter on the pillow of one of her classmates. Way to make it difficult for everybody else Ainsley's mom!
Sunday, November 1, 2015
Kid Quote of the Day
The craziness of Halloween is finally over and as we had a slight lull in conversation in the car today, Amanda says to me, "Mommy, how many days until Christmas?"
In case you were wondering, it's 53. 53 days until Christmas, 53 days until we see Grandma and Grandpa and all the cousins from my side of the family. 54 days until she starts asking how many days it is until her birthday. Please give me patience.
In case you were wondering, it's 53. 53 days until Christmas, 53 days until we see Grandma and Grandpa and all the cousins from my side of the family. 54 days until she starts asking how many days it is until her birthday. Please give me patience.
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Hallo When?
Amanda: When is Halloween?
Me: Saturday.
Amanda: How many days is that?
Me: Three. Today is Wednesday. Thursday, Friday, Saturday, three days.
Amanda: I don't get it.
Me: The day after today is Thursday, the day after that is Friday, the day after that is Saturday. Three days.
Amanda: How about if you just tell me on the day.
Me: Saturday.
Amanda: How many days is that?
Me: Three. Today is Wednesday. Thursday, Friday, Saturday, three days.
Amanda: I don't get it.
Me: The day after today is Thursday, the day after that is Friday, the day after that is Saturday. Three days.
Amanda: How about if you just tell me on the day.
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
London
We left for London on Friday afternoon. The kids and I were flying on miles and the best city for us to fly out of was London, so we decided to make a weekend out of it. We decided to ride the train instead of fly to avoid some of the hassles of the airport, but leaving the train station was very similar to an airport. You still had to fill out a customs form, show your passports and go through security and x-ray.
The ride was fun and relaxing and the girls enjoyed getting to sit across from one another with a table in between. You barely even notice the short period of time that you are actually under water because you are in a tunnel. Unfortunately for Amanda there were no windows in the tunnel and you could not see the fish as you were whizzing by on the train.
When we arrived in London we couldn't find a cab right away so we decided to try the underground. Bad idea, at least with kids and luggage in tow. There were people everywhere walking so fast who had no patience or tolerance for us getting our bearings. So, back to find the taxi line and we finally were on our way to the hotel. Charlie found a very cute bed and breakfast for us close to a university. Our room was pretty basic, four small beds jammed into a big room, but it did the trick and we were only staying two nights. After we dropped off our bags we walked to a local pub for dinner. We got a few funny looks from the patrons and the kids thought it was a bit interesting, but we were mostly just happy that we could order and communicate with the bartender in our native tongue.
The next morning we got up ready to see London. We had one day and wanted to show the kids as much as possible. First we went to the half priced ticket booth and got tickets for that evening for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Then we jumped on one of those big hop-on-hop-off buses that takes you all over the city. Kind of cheesy, but we got to sit and listen about the history of London and we saw the entire city. We got off at the Tower of London to see the crown jewels. Andy enjoyed listening to the humor of the Beefeaters giving the tours, but we couldn't keep up because there were at least 50 people trying to listen and the girls were bored and staying in the back where you couldn't hear.
By the end of the day we were bused out and had a quick dinner of cake and ice cream before we headed to the theater. When we got our tickets our choices were way back in the balcony or for a little more the very front row, so the kids got to sit front and center. We were so close we could see the little microphones on the actors. The kids loved the play, especially Sarah who had read the book in second grade so was very familiar with the story. Our long day in London was an amazing end to a very long trip.
The next day we flew home. We didn't get home until after 7p on Sunday night and the kids had school on Monday. It took us several days to get back on schedule, and for me to get caught up on all the laundry, but it was worth it. The kids have some wonderful memories of the trip and occasionally with throw out something about Paris or Venice or London and it makes me smile. I love that we have instilled the love of travel in them.
The ride was fun and relaxing and the girls enjoyed getting to sit across from one another with a table in between. You barely even notice the short period of time that you are actually under water because you are in a tunnel. Unfortunately for Amanda there were no windows in the tunnel and you could not see the fish as you were whizzing by on the train.
When we arrived in London we couldn't find a cab right away so we decided to try the underground. Bad idea, at least with kids and luggage in tow. There were people everywhere walking so fast who had no patience or tolerance for us getting our bearings. So, back to find the taxi line and we finally were on our way to the hotel. Charlie found a very cute bed and breakfast for us close to a university. Our room was pretty basic, four small beds jammed into a big room, but it did the trick and we were only staying two nights. After we dropped off our bags we walked to a local pub for dinner. We got a few funny looks from the patrons and the kids thought it was a bit interesting, but we were mostly just happy that we could order and communicate with the bartender in our native tongue.
The next morning we got up ready to see London. We had one day and wanted to show the kids as much as possible. First we went to the half priced ticket booth and got tickets for that evening for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Then we jumped on one of those big hop-on-hop-off buses that takes you all over the city. Kind of cheesy, but we got to sit and listen about the history of London and we saw the entire city. We got off at the Tower of London to see the crown jewels. Andy enjoyed listening to the humor of the Beefeaters giving the tours, but we couldn't keep up because there were at least 50 people trying to listen and the girls were bored and staying in the back where you couldn't hear.
By the end of the day we were bused out and had a quick dinner of cake and ice cream before we headed to the theater. When we got our tickets our choices were way back in the balcony or for a little more the very front row, so the kids got to sit front and center. We were so close we could see the little microphones on the actors. The kids loved the play, especially Sarah who had read the book in second grade so was very familiar with the story. Our long day in London was an amazing end to a very long trip.
The next day we flew home. We didn't get home until after 7p on Sunday night and the kids had school on Monday. It took us several days to get back on schedule, and for me to get caught up on all the laundry, but it was worth it. The kids have some wonderful memories of the trip and occasionally with throw out something about Paris or Venice or London and it makes me smile. I love that we have instilled the love of travel in them.
Monday, October 26, 2015
Paris
We woke up really early on Monday morning for our flight to Paris. Like it's-still-really-dark-out early. The hotel was right by the train station and we didn't want to mess with a taxi or Uber so early in the morning so we took the train to the airport. I love European public transportation, it is so incredibly easy.
The only thing we had planned for Paris that day was to get there and get checked in to the apartment that Charlie had rented on AirB&B. We didn't want to schedule anything and then miss it because our flight was delayed or cancelled, and that worked out pretty well since we were arriving to our third city of the trip. The place Charlie found to stay was amazing. It was a two bedroom apartment with a room for us and a room for the girls and a double futon in the living room for Andy. It had two showers and one toilet room, although one of the showers was tiny (according to Andy it was too small for him), and a full kitchen with a good-sized refrigerator (for Europe) and a dish washer. The best part was the view from the huge living room window of the top half of the Eiffel Tower. Unfortunately I didn't really get any good pictures. I took one of Charlie the day we arrived and then remembered I need to take more the night before we left but the next morning it was so foggy you couldn't see the top of the tower.
I don't want to give you a day by day run down of what we did because that's kind of boring, but I will say we did a lot considering we were only there for about four days and we had three kids in tow. I also spend about two of those days by myself with the kids, which went very well but by the end I was tired. Tired of walking, tired of the weather and tired of being in a place where English was not the first language. Mentally and physically tired.
Don't worry, we took the kids to all the hot spots. We did a fantastic Eiffel Tower tour and even Charlie and I learned new things about the tower and the surrounding area. We spend a lovely afternoon on the hill of Sacre Coeur, saw Notre Dame and the Arc De Triomphe. The kids and I went to the palace of Versailles, which they really like but by the end decided they had seen enough palaces for one vacation, and I took them to the courtyard of the Louvre to see the pyramids. We didn't go inside because they would have been bored. Heck, the last time I went in I was bored. We tried to go to the Musee D'Orsay, one of my favorite museums in Paris, but it was our last day and the line was so long we wouldn't have gotten to see much.
I did sneak in a fun kid day while Charlie was at his conference and took the kids to EuroDisney, or as they like to call it Disneyland Paris. There were a few things that were different than the park in California, like the hours and the fireworks show, but a lot of it was the same. It was a fun day of doing something totally for the kids and not making them learn anything.
The only bummer about our time in Paris was the weather. The first day we got there it was sunny and warm and we hoped that it would last the whole week, but we weren't that lucky. We got a little sun on Tuesday for our Eiffel Tower tour and then it got overcast and windy for the rest of the week. The day we went to Disneyland it was so cold I finally bought a second sweatshirt for the girls and myself to wear over the sweatshirts we brought and I bought gloves for all of the kids and myself. That made a huge difference, but I was still cold.
So, Paris was awesome minus the weather. The kids got to eat crepes, Andy ate an entire baguette in one sitting (minus about one inch of it), Andy mastered the Paris metro system and we spent so much money on vending machine candy you wouldn't even believe it. I know where I get that from, my dad. Except he hoards it and keeps it forever and the kids and I ate that stuff right up! It was kind of bad because if I had coin Euros in my pocket, even if they were the equivalent of $1 or $2, we would drop them into the vending machines like they were dimes or nickels. We rode all over the city on the Metro and there were vending machines at all the Metro stops so you can see where we might have spent a lot of money on all the amazing, delicious, different and new candies.
However by Friday I was done. Worn down and cold and tired of trying to speak my horrible 25 year old French. The fog rolled in and it started to rain and we were all just done. I was more than ready to head to London for the last full day of our trip and then on home.
The only thing we had planned for Paris that day was to get there and get checked in to the apartment that Charlie had rented on AirB&B. We didn't want to schedule anything and then miss it because our flight was delayed or cancelled, and that worked out pretty well since we were arriving to our third city of the trip. The place Charlie found to stay was amazing. It was a two bedroom apartment with a room for us and a room for the girls and a double futon in the living room for Andy. It had two showers and one toilet room, although one of the showers was tiny (according to Andy it was too small for him), and a full kitchen with a good-sized refrigerator (for Europe) and a dish washer. The best part was the view from the huge living room window of the top half of the Eiffel Tower. Unfortunately I didn't really get any good pictures. I took one of Charlie the day we arrived and then remembered I need to take more the night before we left but the next morning it was so foggy you couldn't see the top of the tower.
I don't want to give you a day by day run down of what we did because that's kind of boring, but I will say we did a lot considering we were only there for about four days and we had three kids in tow. I also spend about two of those days by myself with the kids, which went very well but by the end I was tired. Tired of walking, tired of the weather and tired of being in a place where English was not the first language. Mentally and physically tired.
Don't worry, we took the kids to all the hot spots. We did a fantastic Eiffel Tower tour and even Charlie and I learned new things about the tower and the surrounding area. We spend a lovely afternoon on the hill of Sacre Coeur, saw Notre Dame and the Arc De Triomphe. The kids and I went to the palace of Versailles, which they really like but by the end decided they had seen enough palaces for one vacation, and I took them to the courtyard of the Louvre to see the pyramids. We didn't go inside because they would have been bored. Heck, the last time I went in I was bored. We tried to go to the Musee D'Orsay, one of my favorite museums in Paris, but it was our last day and the line was so long we wouldn't have gotten to see much.
I did sneak in a fun kid day while Charlie was at his conference and took the kids to EuroDisney, or as they like to call it Disneyland Paris. There were a few things that were different than the park in California, like the hours and the fireworks show, but a lot of it was the same. It was a fun day of doing something totally for the kids and not making them learn anything.
The only bummer about our time in Paris was the weather. The first day we got there it was sunny and warm and we hoped that it would last the whole week, but we weren't that lucky. We got a little sun on Tuesday for our Eiffel Tower tour and then it got overcast and windy for the rest of the week. The day we went to Disneyland it was so cold I finally bought a second sweatshirt for the girls and myself to wear over the sweatshirts we brought and I bought gloves for all of the kids and myself. That made a huge difference, but I was still cold.
So, Paris was awesome minus the weather. The kids got to eat crepes, Andy ate an entire baguette in one sitting (minus about one inch of it), Andy mastered the Paris metro system and we spent so much money on vending machine candy you wouldn't even believe it. I know where I get that from, my dad. Except he hoards it and keeps it forever and the kids and I ate that stuff right up! It was kind of bad because if I had coin Euros in my pocket, even if they were the equivalent of $1 or $2, we would drop them into the vending machines like they were dimes or nickels. We rode all over the city on the Metro and there were vending machines at all the Metro stops so you can see where we might have spent a lot of money on all the amazing, delicious, different and new candies.
However by Friday I was done. Worn down and cold and tired of trying to speak my horrible 25 year old French. The fog rolled in and it started to rain and we were all just done. I was more than ready to head to London for the last full day of our trip and then on home.
Fish Are Friends, Not Food
Amanda: What are we having for dinner?
Me: Fish.
Amanda: Fish is for babies.
Me: No, fish is for big girls. You know what's for babies?
Amanda: What?
Me: Whining about what's for dinner.
Amanda: No, whining is for big girls.
Ugh, I really hate the whining stage. Unfortunately it's the longest one of all. Amanda is full swing and Sarah is almost out of it. Just a few more years...
Me: Fish.
Amanda: Fish is for babies.
Me: No, fish is for big girls. You know what's for babies?
Amanda: What?
Me: Whining about what's for dinner.
Amanda: No, whining is for big girls.
Ugh, I really hate the whining stage. Unfortunately it's the longest one of all. Amanda is full swing and Sarah is almost out of it. Just a few more years...
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