Our Baltic Cruise -- the Early Days

Saturday, July 26

We left Saturday morning, bright and early, headed for Dunkuerque (Mommy, not France again!) to take the ferry over to Dover. Unfortunately, our TomTom went to the big GPS heaven the night before leaving, but the good news was that our in-car GPS got us roughly there, and good signs got us the rest of the way. The ferry ride was slightly over an hour, and the kids enjoyed the very basic play area they had, and kept looking out the windows for dolphins.

We arrived in Dover and had just a short drive to Maidstone, home of Leeds Castle and our hotel. Luckily, the hotel and castle were right off of the highway, as T.J. was a little apprehensive (and rightly so) about driving in England. He navigated beautifully, and Jack slept through the drive, which kept the infighting in the backseat to a minimum. We spent the afternoon at Leeds Castle, which was just beautiful and had lots for the kids to enjoy. We first walked through a duckery that was filled ducklings and black swans and peacocks. There was an orchestra playing on (what looked to be) an inflatable stage, with lots of picnickers. We made our way through the castle, which was quite old -- at least from the 1000s. We learned that William the conqueror once owned the castle and gave it to his half-brother Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, France (remember my earlier post about the seeing the tapestry in Bayeux last weekend that Odo commissioned to commemorate William's conquest? It was lived in as recently as the 1960s and was a beautiful, reasonable-sized castle.



They had great play areas for the kids, including a wooden playground that is a replica of the castle. the kids had a blast playing, and we enjoyed wearing them out. We lucked into beautiful weather, although it was a little on the warm side (in the 80s), given that the hotel has no air-conditioning.

We came back to the hotel and enjoyed dinner al fresco and let the kids run around in a big field that is alongside the hotel. Given their exceptionally poor behaviour in restaurants lately, this let us enjoy our meal a little more and didn't force them to keep their seats while they waited for the food to arrive.

The children had a room to themselves, with mattresses on the floor. It took them ages to fall asleep, but once they did, it was fun to see where they ended up through the night. It didn't take Jack much time to roll off and end up sleeping directly on the floor. While Amelia rolled off and slept directly on the floor, but with her head on the mattress.

Sunday, July 27
T.J. woke up super-early, while I was exhausted after a 2-hour span of insomnia earlier in the day. I slept on the couch in the kids' room while he puttered around. Then after breakfast, it was a trip to the local train station to catch a train to London. It was a nice, hour ride that dropped us off at Victoria Station. We purchased a hop-on, hop-off tour bus pass and enjoyed seeing the sights from the double-decker bus. Amelia fell asleep and missed most of it, but it made for a peaceful ride. We got off at Parliament ("Hey, kids, look! Big Ben! Parliament!" -- National Lampoon's European Vacation, and a frequent quote in the Neunreiter household, even though we never went to London). We saw Big Ben and the London Eye (I was chastised for calling it a Ferris Wheel.) The kids are most interested in seeing the "silly guys" (the street "performers" dressed head to toe in shiny paint that don't move until you give them money -- see the picture.)After lunch, we headed toward London Bridge and Tower Bridge, then caught the bus back to Victoria Station.



Items of note: There are more Starbucks in London than rightfully should be (and that's saying a lot coming from me). But still, I had only one. And I didn't get to do an ounce of shopping. But after seeing Oxford Street and some of the other shopping streets, you can bet I'm coming back. Soon. With credit cards.

We made it back to the hotel in time to take the kids swimming, and now we're just relaxing before bed. Tomorrow afternoon, we will return to Dover and get on the ship.

And for those who are keeping score, everyone is roughly healthy. T.J. is still a little tired, but he's mostly recovered. And although I had 2 days of starting to feel achy, my multiple doses of ImmunoShield (product placement) kept the flu at bay, it seems.

Now if we can just avoid NoroVirus!!

Monday, July 28
We checked out of the hotel and headed toward the ship early. We had thought about going to Canterbury for the morning, but ended up opting out of more driving in England that was necessary. We headed for the port and we were luckily able to board early. We also had the smarts to pack our swimming suits in a carry-on bag, so while everyone else was waiting for their luggage, we enjoyed the water slide nearly to ourselves and had an enjoyable lunch. There was quite a breeze on board, but it didn't stop the kids from wanting to be in the pool. Jack's favorite activity is playing "golf" in the practice cages. We spent the better part of the afternoon stalking the sports court area, waiting for one of the cages to free up. Once it did, Jack and I played golf for quite a while. He even "helped" me when I missed the ball, by moving the ball to be more in my reach or by helping me hold the clubs. I think everyone got a kick out of watching him, too.

The kids were very excited to go back to the Kids' Club, and we were happy to hear that one of the kids' favorite counselors from last cruise was on this ship. After dinner, the kids couldn't wait to participate in the club. There are a ton more kids on this cruise than there were on the last, which isn't as fun, but the kids don't seem to mind.

We left port around 4, and we set sail for Copenhagen, to be reached on Wednesday.

Tuesday, July 29
I got up early this morning (though not as early as I THOUGHT I did, as we had a time change forward overnight) and went to the gym (it's so much easier to go to the gym when it's only a floor away than it is when it's a drive away) and then to the spa for a little bit of indulgence. It was really nice, and then T.J. went down for a haircut and a head/neck/shoulder massage. The sea is a little rough today, so we're rocking! a little, but not enough to be bothersome. The kids begged to go to the club, so I laid in the sun/wind and read while they played, which was fantastic. A cruise vacation really has afforded us a lot of relaxation, without feeling guilty about the kids not having fun.

T.J. is playing in a poker tournament today, while I relax in the room while the kids take a nap. We've done the pool for a bit (a little too breezy for our enjoyment), and Jack really wants to play golf again, so I'm sure we'll do that, too.

Tonight starts the face painting at the kids club -- Prince and Princess night -- so I know where the kids will be. T.J. and I are thinking about doing a Wii room, or even just enjoying a peaceful dinner. We'll see. We've really been pleased with NCL and their programs and would highly recommend it.



More Later!

Jack Takes Flight

I don't know how long this video will stay up (takes up a lot of space on the blog), but I was trying to e-mail it to my mom, but it was too big. So I'm just posting it online for everyone's enjoyment (amusement?)

Jerry's Visit and The Normandy Coast

We just finished up a really nice visit with Jerry (T.J.'s mom) who came out to see us for a week. Alas, she was treated to true Belgian weather (mostly cloudy, rain, and intermittent peaks of sun, combined with unusually cool temps -- in the 60s) and uncooperative kids' health (just fevers, and it's our first illness since school let out! Hooray!) Amelia came down with a fever the morning of Jerry's arrival, and it lasted about 36 hours, poor thing.

We took a driving trip to Deauville, France, on the Normandy coast, which is about 5 hours from here. Apparently they hold an American Film Festival here every year (which surprised me, given all the U.S. bad-mouthing the French reportedly dish out) and it's where a lot of Parisians come when they go "to the shore."

On the way, we stopped in Rouen, where we tried to find the spot where Joan of Arc was burned. We didn't quite make it (my French failed me with "burned at the stake"), but it was a lovely town anyway.

We got to the hotel a little past bedtime for the kids, and we set up a makeshift bed for Amelia on the floor. I asked Reception for a crib for Jack, and what he brought me was, I swear, a laundry cart. You be the judge.



On the one hand, it gave him plenty of room (more than a normal Pack-n-Play), but on the other hand, it was a LAUNDRY CART! And yes, we saw plenty of Pack-n-Plays in the hotel later on in the weekend, so I know they had them. But anyway, Jack slept pretty well!

We woke up our first day to lots of clouds and the threat of rain, but we decided to try to find the beach anyway, just to check it out and to play in the sand (not to actually swim or sun). We made it to the beach, and the kids had a great time playing in the sand, even when it started to rain. After a brief playtime, we headed back to the car, but not before first stopping at one of the kazillion kids' rides that are littered throughout Europe.

That afternoon, We drove to Omaha Beach. I was dropped off in Bayeux to see a 70-meter tapestry from the 1070s that depicted William the Conqueror's and the 1066 invasion. Quite impressive. They also have a beautiful cathedral from the 1070s as well. There was a big street market going on, selling mostly junk, but it was lots of fun to look at.

After spending some time at Omaha Beach, the rest of the crew met me in Bayeux, and while Jerry and TJ went to see the tapestry, I watched the kids spin round and round on a 1900 wooden merry-go-round. Which is also when Jack came down with the 36-hour fever. Jerry and Amelia had a slumber party that night, while T.J. and I fought for space in the bed with a feverish Jack.

Our second day in Deauville saw brighter weather, so we went back to the beach, rented an umbrella and chairs, and let the kids play. When the sun was out, it was quite pleasant, though a little windy. There was a nice boardwalk, which had the names of all the famous US movie stars who had been there. It was a VERY wide beach, and the kids had a great time. In the afternoon, we took them swimming at the pool, which wasn't so much fun. It was breezy and cool (remember, it's MAYBE 70 degrees). Amelia and I retreated to the indoor pool, which was better.

We had dinner in a quaint little harbour town called Honfleur (again, more merry-go-rounds). It was a charming little place with lots of seafood restaurants and little shops. I was most excited about a fondue restaurant; everyone else was thrilled at the Ben and Jerry's shop. Walking back to the car, Jack decided that he had to pee (while his potty training is evolving nicely, he doesn't always take advantage of bathrooms when afforded the opportunity). Our walk back involved a long row of bushes, so we opted to do as the Europeans do (i.e., pee in public, which is as common as drinking water). Jack did his business (with no onlookers, thankfully. even though it's accepted here, it doesn't make me like it any more) and yelled "I went pee pee in the bushes" for all to here. For whatever reason, Amelia decided it looked like great fun and subsequently declared a potty emergency. And she, too, watered the bushes (though not as easily!). I don't know why they found it so funny, but they did.

That night, around 3 a.m, Jack woke me up by singing, in his sleep, John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt. I was in tears laughing, it was so funny!

We packed up on Monday morning and started our drive back, stopping briefly in Lille, France. It is a big shopping town, and we thought there was a Starbucks there, but couldn't find one. It was a great town, anyway -- I'd definitely like to come back.

Jack's fever finally went away, too, and things are back to normal. (Or close to it, anyway.) While dropping Jerry off at the airport yesterday, we saw the spot where the first Belgian Starbucks will open -- IN AUGUST!! I've already prepared TJ for the fact that he'll see lots of airport parking charges on the credit card...

The week is warming up, and we might even hit 80 tomorrow. We're going on another cruise, leaving for England this week, and I'll try to blog more frequently on this cruise.

T.J. has been hit with the 36-hour (I hope) fever, and I'm popping Vitamin Cs, etc., like crazy to make sure I'm not the next victim.

I've opened up my own ballet school, never mind that I don't know anything about ballet (other than what I've seen on Angelina Ballerina). I think it's a hit, though. But Jack does seem to have trouble hitting the right positions in his high-heeled glass slippers.

July 4th Celebration

The kids had a blast yesterday for the 4th. We went up to the Spencers' house (parents' neighbors down the street) for dinner and fireworks (Mr. Spencer put on quite the display -- it was very impressive!). Mia and Jack were the only kids, but they had a great time. There were some people playing washers, and they let Amelia and Jack play. Jack loved playing with "the boys" (as he kept calling them). They were very social with everyone.

 

When everyone went to go eat, Jack kept walking around saying "Where are the boys? I want to play with the boys!" The guys were very patient with him and indulged them in playing. When it got a little dark, the kids and I caught fireflies (mostly named Ellie and Bobby, of course) and they were quite distraught when they caught PG letting all 7 of them go. I promised that I would catch more tonight. Then Mr. Spencer started shooting real fireworks. The kids got terrified, so we went in the house and watched from inside. Jack was just sure everyone would get burned. I think Amelia was mostly scared of the noise. While inside, Amelia declared that we needed to sing Happy Birthday to America (since I'd been talking all day about how it was America's birthday). So she went outside and asked the Spencers if we could sing. And everyone did. It was really cute. We got home around 9:15, and the kids were still a little jittery about the fireworks, poor things.

 

And even though the kids were up until 9:30, Jack still got up at 5 ....

July 4th and Bug Catching

Here are a few pictures before our July 4th party last night. The kids were in a wacky mood, hence the funny pictures.

 

I got the kids nets and bug boxes today at the dollar store (after getting worn out by catching them by hand last night), and Jack promptly found the craziest caterpillar, with big fake eyes on its back and big orange antenna that would pop out at will. He declared it his best friend and named it Bobby. He tried to feed it leaves, grass and a raspberry. The caterpillar wasn't impressed.

 

We caught lightning bugs tonight, but Amelia got quite distressed after PG told her that Jack had more fireflies than she did. They had a lot of fun running around the yard with their giant (cheap) nets, and I'm hoping the exercise will help them sleep later tomorrow.

 

Jack wore his big boy underpants for most of the afternoon and was (thankfully) entirely successful. He'll even go by himself, without help. Hooray!

 

Live From St. Louis

We arrived safely in St. Louis on Monday afternoon, after uneventful flights. The kids were amazingly well behaved on the Brussels-Newark leg, though I wish they had slept longer. The layover in Newark started to get a little dicey, as we landed in Newark to find that our flight to STL was delayed by almost an hour. The kids had energy to spare, and it started to come out as wrestling, waiting in the boarding area. Jack had done very well at using the potty all day and came out with a dry diaper. I at least got my exercise, walking the kids to and from the bathrooms.

Our flight to St. Louis from Newark then got bumped up a little, so we were still leaving late, but not as late. We boarded the flight and waited. Then we got delayed because they were still loading baggage. Then we got delayed because the airplane behind us pushed back from the gate but they couldn't release the towbar from the plane. We saw them banging on it with hammers, a whole group of guys standing around, but it took 30 minutes for them to get the bar off (during which time I had to take Jack on a mad dash to the bathroom, since technically we weren't supposed to be standing). We finally push back, and have an uneventful flight to St. Louis. We get in at 6 STL time (1 am Brussels) and the sunlight (and all the toys) help keep the kids occupied. They finally beg for bed around 8, then awake promptly at 3, asking to go play. I con them into sleeping with me, and I managed to get them to sleep for another few hours, until 5:30.

So now it's Thursday, and the kids are firmly entrenched in waking up at 5:30ish. Oh, well. Could be worse. We had a small thunderstorm last night, which made the kids nervous (we don't have thunder in Brussels, save for once or twice a year). I finally came up to bed, only to find Amelia sound asleep in my bed, all the lights on,

Jack is having a blast riding his airplane outside, and Amelia is playing with her new toy dalmation puppy (after having lost a similar dog in the Brussels airport on Monday. She couldn't understand why we couldn't go back to find it, while they were starting to board our flight.). We set up a sprinkler for them outside the other day, and the kids reveled in jumping around in it, then they'd lay down on their towels and drink lemonade.

I've been enjoying shopping (don't tell T.J.) and got the kids 4 pairs of shoes for the price I would've paid for 1 pair in Brussels.

The kids are hoping to go to the zoo today with Susan and cousin Emma, if the thunderstorms hold off. Then tomorrow we're going swimming at my friend Jenn's neighborhood pool, followed by a July 4th barbecue up the street from my parents' house.

AND, most amazingly, we're still healthy!!