Grandma's in Town

Nancy paid us a welcome visit this last week. She arrived just in time to enjoy our first (and perhaps last) taste of summer weather. 

Rebekah and she did not waste any time.  Right away, they competed in a charity half marathon in Dublin.  Only women were allowed to participate (and a few cross-dressing men). They ran for Cystic fibrosis. Nancy would have preferred a slower pace to aid her sightseeing ability, but their group was all business. 

However, when not involved in the marathon, these two could usually be found...still walking. It seems everyday had them on some new hike? 

Or walking the 5 Kilometers to an art lesson, or into Dalkey for some food.

Luckily they found some time to enjoy the spa and a night at the Ritz. 

On another occasion, we made our way into town to enjoy Handel's Messiah. After all, it was composed and performed right here in Dublin 271 years ago last month. We arrived early, and rented some bikes to do a bit of sightseeing (and find a place to eat).  Our kids may be getting to the end of their "share a bike with a parent" days. 

Our seats were right up front.  They kept the lights on the entire time.  It was a bit difficult not to make awkward eye contact with one of the four soloists. To my surprise, the kids loved it, and did not complain about the 2 hour lenght. Maybe they were nervous the soloist would come down and smack them!

After all the walking and late nights, Rebekah preferred to spend her mornings lazing in bed with her puppy. 

With the girls off on their walking tour of Ireland, I decided to do some Kayaking.  With weather this nice, you feel guilty not to get out, especially when everyone keeps telling us it will not last. One day I took the kids (and the dog) on a tour of the Grand Canal in Dublin. 

It soon became obvious I had bit off more then I could chew. Shayne and the dog were one too many bodies on my boat.  The trip ended before we explored much of the Grand Canal. In any case I would say it was only a pretty good canal at most. 

On another glorious morning, while Rebekah and her Mom were on a walk, I paddled out to Dalkey Island, and this time took a camera. I sent some time relaxing with he seals, as they warmed up in the sun.

They did not appear too bothered by me, and let me get very close.  

Once on the island, I made my way to the seagull nests again, to get a picture for Shayne of the cute little babies.  I wonder if these twins will argue over who was born first like mine do?

It was a nice way to spend a hour before work.  Of course it helps that the sun is up by 5 AM. 

Before to long, Nancy was off to France, and Rebekah off to the USA.  This left just the three of us (and a dog) to enjoy the sun.  I picked up the kids from school to start the festivities. I was forced to stop at the 'no dogs allowed' sign. 

 We spent Saturday at Phoenix Park in Dublin (their version of Central Park).  For some reason Weston brought a giant red pen with him? We made our way past sporting grounds and Cricket games (which were still going on when we left hours later!)

We wandered through manicured lawns and by sunny tea houses, as we made our way to the zoo.  The main reason we did this was that there was no were to park near the zoo!  The place was packed. We parked what seemed like miles away (okay, not miles... since they use the metric system - but far!). 

We spent an afternoon at the zoo, but I only took this one picture. In the background is a huge silver back gorilla (plus a mother and baby near the water).  Weston's favorite animal was the South American Macaw?  Shayne preferred the Red Panda. The zoo is not huge, but the gardens and landscaping are quite handsome. I enjoyed people watching.  The Irish seem to go crazy when it is sunny.  I have never seen so many pale red heads in my life.  Many of the men were walking around the zoo without shirts. Most had matching bright red skin we hit the exits at closing. 

We finished the day back home by skipping rocks at Colimore Harbor before sunset (which is around 10 PM)!. As we made our way to bed, and pulled the blinds to block out the light, we contemplated the news that the sun is suppose to disappear by Tuesday. At least we had good times and sunny weather while Grandma was here! And that is how it should be. 

A Hard Knock Life

Over the last few weeks, we have begun to experience some warm days (scattered in between the cold, windy ones).  I think that means summer has arrived.  With the better weather, the waters in front of our house have been much busier with all types of life and boats. One morning a majestic sailboat greeted us out the window. Finally--time to play outside!

The timing could not have been better. A couple of weeks ago, the kids pushed Rebekah to the edge (while I was away). She was alone the week of Mother's Day with a broken toe, potty training puppy and kids who took advantage of her inability to ascend the stairs. Drastic consequences were in order. The decision was made to forbid any screen time (TV, computer, iPad, iPhone etc...).  In addition, all of their toys were taken away; and I mean ALL of their toys.  They were boxed up, given away, thrown away, or sold.  The favorites we kept were put away in storage. 

To the kids credit, there has been little complaining. They willingly took up their dog walking responsibilities and completed their "We love our family" daily chores, including the task to complete one act of service for each family member. 

To assist with this task, we each wrote a few things that would help us feel loved by one another, on sticky notes posted to the family room mirror. Douglas has been a real trooper and even signed his name on Shaynie's "Be Happy when I ask to LEAVE ME ALONE" love note... My favorite was when Douglas came to Rebekah unexpectedly one early evening and said, "Mom, would you like sit down and hear about my day?"

Poor Shaynie, who desperately desires a doll to snuggle with at night (i.e. "sucking bunny" and Peter the teddy bear) resorted to clandestinely sleeping with an empty "Henri Bendel" bag.

However, there have been some real positives.  They have engaged in many more outdoor activities.  Such as rock climbing with the dog (or even just taking the dog for a walk which was part of the reason they were in trouble in the first place)!

Exploring the neighborhood with friends. 

And learning how to skip rocks under a full moon!

We have now all made it out on kayaks to Dalkey island.  On a trip with Weston last Saturday, we were able to explore the dozens of seagull nests, with their large green eggs, and even a few fuffly chicks, strewn around the ground (while concerned parents squawked and swooped overhead)

Here is a picture of Rebekah in the kid's kayak, pushing the weight limit (and her safety) to the extreme. But she made it like a pro, and did not even flinch when the seals surrounded her like hungry sharks. 

With the better weather, the young women at our church decided to hold a 'Family Fun Day' fund raising event for an upcoming activity in England. Rebekah played a crucial role in this event (to include cooking burgers and hotdogs).

She also prepared and sold some of her famous brownies and sour dough bread!

Yet even with all of that, and a number of other fun activities, it was difficult to get people off the street. I suppose it is always hard to sell hamburgers opposite McDonald's and their dastardly Euro Saver Menu!

The kids arrived at the Fun Day activity and were a bit surprised to see a number of their toys and clothes for sale!  But once again, to their credit, they did not complain (even when they showed up to church the next day to find many of their toys in the hands of other kids in the branch). I think it helped that Rebekah has talked to the kids about why they were trying to raise money.

In fact, Weston even took to the streets to try and draw in a crowd, barking to the people stopped at the red light "cakes and hot dogs for sale... one day only!" His enthusiasm actually brought in a few people and sparked interest in a church that might have enabled such confidence from a nine year old.  They were good sports. However, the real surprise was to learn, at the end of the day, that the event had earned the Young Women almost exactly the amount of money they needed (plus 5 additional Euro).

So, despite the hardships and punishments dished out at home, we have all survived. Now, we may have to do something about that crazy dog? She may need some real toys. (That is an orchid planter.)

Cairo Adventure

Weston has been studying Egypt for most of the school year and just loved it. Thus, I thought it would be fun to surprise him, and used some air miles to have him accompany me on a recent trip to Cairo.  He was in the car when Rebekah dropped me off at the airport bus.  I told him I was going to Paris. He said he wished he could come with me.  I turned to Rebekah and said, "Would that be okay?"  Of course she agreed. And with that, we were off.  He was oblivious that I had already packed a suitcase for him.  The whole time he assumed we were going to Paris.  He had no idea of our final destination until we were in the parking lot of the Cairo airport.  He turned to me and said "Dad - this is not France!"

By all accounts, I think we had a fun and productive time.  Here he is by the Nile, wearing a pair of 3D movie glasses we purchased at a local movie house one afternoon.  I am not sure how they worked to keep out the sun, or how they affected/damaged his vision, but he did not seem to mind.  

He was a good sport and accompanied me to a few of my business meetings. The first night we went out to dinner with Dr. Hatooth and his lovely family. It was a lively outdoor restaurant. 

Weston especially enjoyed the fresh bread and tahini sauce (luckily - as he dare not eat some of the other dishes!)   We also had some fresh Kebab (Weston particularly liked the french fry portion of his dinner).  He may be vegetarian?

On another night out with the Hatooth's, we did not eat until 10 PM.  At around 2 AM, I finally suggested that I should go home, and put my son to bed (as it was a school night?).  Weston did not seem to mind staying up late, as he was being entertained by their 16 year old son Ahmed.

Our hotel was right next to the Cairo zoo.  In fact we could see a number of the animals out of our window.  We decided there was no need to pay the zoo entrance fee. However, we could also see the Pyramids way off in the distance.   We decided to make an effort to visit them.

We ate breakfast overlooking the Nile. Weston bypassed his usual choice of cereal, to enjoy a wide assortments of breads, donuts, and eggs. He especially liked the fresh fruit smoothies. 

One of our first stops was the Cairo museum.  With Weston at my side, there was no need to have a guide. He shared all his knowledge (and then some) with me as we wandered the halls and enjoyed the artifacts (especially King Tut).    Did you know that King Tut lived at the Pyramids in Giza?  (On second thought, a guide might have come in handy).  You can see a burnt out government building right behind the Museum (from the recent uprising).  It is still a county in flux. 

However, we did not feel too uncomfortable; all the security guards and police we met were kind. 

The next stop was the famous Khan el-Khalili  souk (or bazzar).  It dates back to 1382, but I think Weston said King Tut used to do his weekend shopping here for dates and honey?  In the photo above, Weston is exploring the inside of a local mosque.  He found these very interesting, and especially enjoyed the frequent calls to prayer. So do I.

I gave him $5 and explained the concept of haggling.  He caught on right away, and appeared to have a good time exploring the market, and asking for different prices. 

The merchants tried their best to sell their wares, but he seemed to know just what he wanted.  A black and white keffiyeh was not one of them. 

He finally found just the right chess set, 2 ball point pens that looked like a Pharaoh, and a very small replica sarcophagus.  He went back and forth with the owner, using his calculator and some unknown mathematical formula to arrive at his desired price.

He wouldn't take no for an answer, and finally sealed the deal. He walked away feeling like a champion.  However, based on the smile of the owner, I think we still lost money!  But we had fun (and have some junk to prove it).

Of course, we eventually made our way to Giza and the Pyramids. There were not a lot of tourists there, so the tour guides were circling like sharks.  

We climbed as high as we could onto the ancient stones (before the police yelled at us).  Then Weston collected a few rocks and some sand to bring back home. 

Despite being a bit cliche and touristy, we decided to hire some camels and a guide (to 'supplement' Weston's knowledge of course).

 Our camel was named Bob Marley. I think that is a very common camel name in Egypt (although I still remember the first camel I ever rode in Egypt as a kid was named 'Pepsi'.)

We even made our way over to the Sphinx.

After the ride, we set off on foot. I think this was more fun.

We took some time to have Weston translate the Hieroglyphics.  That is an "F" or a "B"? 

It was fun to touch, climb and really connect with these famous pieces of antiquity.  Think of all the people in history that have viewed them?

We took a few minutes to explore the inside of a tomb that belonged to a princess.  Weston went down backwards for safety. He did not wear shoes.  He was very Egyptian. He was not traveling with his mother. 

 Once inside, Weston crawled down into the carved out tomb to give us a realistic demonstration and a sense of scale.

Then he clambered up some stairs and struck a familiar pose.  I suppose he was ready to sit there for the next 4000 years?

But we had other things to see and do, so it was back up the long tunnel, to sunlight, safety and the year 2013.  

We had a fun experience roaming around.    It has changed much since my last visit so many years ago.  It appears to be much more structured and regulated now.  The entire complex is gated to keep people out (like pan handlers and  un-licensed guides) and to ensure all visitors pay a fee. 

In some ways it is sad. There are now buildings and houses all around the Pyramids. It used to be just sand! In fact,  the picture below was taken from the inside of a Pizza Hut (you can even see the delivery scooters out front). A KFC is on the first floor.

Each night they have a sound and light show. We watched from Pizza Hut to save money. I think we missed out on some of the experience?  But the "Cheese Burger Crown Crust Pizza" was amazing?

Another stop was the Mohammad Ali Mosque. This is a beautiful structure built in 1857.  However, like the pyramids, all the workers were killed after its completion to make sure they could not pass on the secrets of it construction to some other wealthy ruler. 

Weston was stopped a number of times by young girls, who wanted to talk to him and take his picture.  While this has happened many time in the past, I think this was the first time it was done by admiring young girls, and not just people wanting a picture of a cute little American baby.  He was not especially comfortable with the situation and was very shy (which is unusual for him!).  It made me feel old and sad. 

Where has the time gone?

After all the walking, we enjoyed resting in the cool voluminous mosque.  There was a reverent feeling in this old magnificent building.  I am not sure if Weston added to that by laying down?

Weston took the picture below to show his mother what the traffic was like in Cairo. It is a bit extreme.  I do not think there are any rules. Weston could not get over all the honking and yelling he saw and heard.

 He explained that his teacher never mentioned all the horns and commotion when discussing ancient Egypt.

In the end, it was a fun adventure, and a memorable bonding experience.  One that I will remember as long as the pyramids stand (Which could be awhile - they don't build them like King Tut used to anymore!)