Edinburgh

We first stayed in Edinburgh at a cozy bed and breakfast within easy walking distance to the Royal Mile.  We arrived after 9pm (see previous post) and were immediately led to our room and given one of those old fashioned keys...very quaint.  The shower was a bit quirky in that the temperature range randomly altered between freezing, comfortable, or scalding.  Otherwise, we were rather comfortable!

We rose early enough to eat and then set our for our first full day in Scotland.  We found our way to the Royal Mile and gained entry to Edinburgh Castle.  It was amazing!  Afterward we wondered down a little the Royal Mile.  The kids and I split up with Charlie and he was able to do the Scotch Whiskey Experience while we explored on our own.  We had dinner at Deacon Brodies Tavern where I enjoyed some fish and chips.  Yum!  I have to admit that while we enjoyed the food and the ambiance, our dinner was cut short because of the people sitting next to us.  They requested to be moved because we smelled and weren't classy enough for them.  I'm not saying we smelled great, but we weren't sitting close enough for us to actually affect their experience nor did they appear overly classy.  Regardless, we finished eating and left.  Luckily, that was the only unpleasantness we experienced on our trip.  Everyone else was friendly and helpful!  

The second day was also spent on the Royal Mile.  This time we made it further down and visited Holyrood Palace.  That was also amazing.  We were able to visit the state rooms, the abbey remains, and the queen's gardens.  That day we also visited the Childhood Museum and we ordered haggis for lunch.  I'm glad I did it, but I'll admit I'll never sit around wishing to have the dish again.  The mashed turnips were okay, but the mashed potatoes were delicious.  The kids split an order of macaroni and cheese and devoured it.  We ended this day by making our way to Princes Street and noticing the lovely park there.  

Our final day in Scotland had us return to the Princes Street park where the kids played on a very cool playground.  We were there until around noon before we decided to go explore Arthur's Seat, although we didn't hike all the way up as we didn't think Zach was up for such an adventure.  It was beautiful though.  We also were able to visit Edinburgh Museum.  

I'll upload pictures later, but we loved Edinburgh very much.  We hope to make it back to Scotland again, but the next time we will rent a car and explore the countryside.  

Hollowells on Holiday...Grizwold Style

Charlie and I have done very few actual vacations, or since we are in Europe I'm calling it a holiday, in our 17 years of marriage.  The one we just had is by far the longest and most ambitious one we've attempted and we kicked it off in true Grizwold fashion.  I'm devoting this first post to nothing but the travel aspect.

We opted to travel with RyanAir as it is one of those cheap airlines and you do not have assigned seating.  You just show up and it is a free for all as you try to get seats on the plane.  Sure, you can purchase priority seating and they even allow a few seats to be reserved...but where is the adventure in that?  

So, we flew from Tallinn to Dublin and were pleased that we managed to get four seats all together.  The unfortunate part was the plane took off a bit late.  RyanAir makes very few promises, and as it turns out you must make sure that you have at least a three hour layover before they are concerned about their timeliness (although they boast a 90% on time record...the best in Europe).  I scanned the terms and conditions but not that closely.  Since our plane was late (what are the odds?) we missed our flight to Edinburgh.  RyanAir was not concerned.  They also had no other flights that evening, so we took our business to Aer Lingus.  This flight was delayed.  And then delayed again.  But, we finally arrived in Edinburgh and a taxi took us to the lovely bed and breakfast we stayed at.  Below you can see Clara waiting, somewhat patiently, for our second flight to take us to Edinburgh. 

After three fabulous days in Edinburgh, we headed to London.  Our flight took us to Stansted Airport but our other flight was leaving from Gatwick Airport.  Yes, they are on opposite sides of town and I had us staying near Gatwick.  All went well with the flight and our taxi driver to the airport was a delight.  Once we landed at Stansted we had to make our way to our hotel.  We took the train that required a transfer midway.  Well, this is where our trip took another Grizwold turn.  Apparently we hopped on the wrong train.  We had been sitting for a while when the train attendant came through.  He was very friendly but informed us we were way out of our way.  Luckily, we had a sense of humor about it.  He told us where to get off the train and which one to get on.  Finally, we made it to our destination, a little later than expected, but with plenty of time to enjoy a local dinner before bedtime.

We really enjoyed our time in England, but then it was time to be off to Dublin.  We caught our plane with no trouble and hailed a taxi from the airport.  I was sitting in the back with Clara and Zach thinking, "Wow!  We made it with no issues!" when Clara told me her stomach was hurting.  So, I'm in the process of telling her to take a few deep breaths through her nose when she clamps her hands over her mouth and proceeds to spew...all over the taxi!  I'm sure there was some on the windshield even.  The cab driver quickly pulled over and we cleaned everybody and the car as good as possible.  Luckily the bed and breakfast was very nice.  We were a couple of hours early but she allowed Clara to shower and change and we waited in the lounge until check in time.  A nearby laundrette further assisted us.

I must admit the flight home was pretty smooth.  While it was a little delayed taking off, the pilot managed to arrive a few minutes early.  We had a wonderful time and I'll post more with pictures of our visit to each city but thought our travel deserved a post of its own.

First Day of School

Clara had her first day of third grade today and her first day of homeschooling ever.  It was not a super exciting day, and she wasn't eager to begin.  That being said, it was a very nice day.  She sort of trudged through math, but perked right up when we started science.  She did math, science, spelling, phonics, reading, composition, and social studies today.  After each lesson and activities, there is a short online quiz.  She did great on them all!  It took us much longer than I expected it to, but she was very cooperative and performed well.  One of the activities in reading had her draw a picture of an adventure and answer questions.  She drew a lovely picture and had a really cute adventure to share, but it really cost us in terms of time.  Since I am trying to instill high standards, how could I rush her?  I have no doubt we will move more quickly through the lessons as we get into a routine.   The nice thing is that all of our practice was done during the day so there is no homework, other than reading for pleasure.  I think we both enjoyed it!

Coming to America Part 2

After three days in Alabama, the kids and I packed up and headed back to Chattanooga.  On the way, we stopped to visit with Papaw Carter.  We enjoyed the visit and I was impressed to know that he was going to bail hay after we left!  

 

 Once back in Chattanooga, we had dinner with the family.  Granny Marg, Aunt Korin and Larry all came.  On a side note, I should never be surprised, but I am absolutely amazed at the amount of food that is put out.  This was at gathering we experienced.  There was no shortage of yummy food to be had!  The next morning Mimi took us to the Chattanooga Zoo.  We really enjoyed it, and it was Zach's first zoo experience.  After that, Mimi endured being drug around while I did school shopping.  We hit McKay's Used Books, the teacher supply store, Hobby Lobby, and Walmart.  An additional trip to a different Walmart was necessary.  We now have plenty of school supplies, and I was pleased to find several fleece garments for the kids too. I spent much of the next day packing those materials into two boxes and mailing them.  Later I was able to meet with my childhood friend, Jodi, at Cracker Barrel.  It was so nice to catch up.   Then it was time to come home.

Our return trip was even smoother, however longer, than the trip there.  We did have a lengthy layover in Frankfurt.  And it also turns out that our airline, Lufthansa, was experiencing a strike.  The flight before ours was canceled, but luckily our flight was only slightly delayed.  We were very excited to see Charlie.  I will have to say that Zach was pretty much at the end of his rope.  All was well until we were standing at baggage claim, waiting for our bags to appear.  Baggage claim is secure at this airport so I had to do that solo.  He was such a little stinker!  Anyway, the kids were stoked to be home and see all their toys (remember, our household goods were delivered the day we left).  I've spent that last two days feverishly unpacking and putting away.  We are recovering from the jet lag and getting back to the typical routine.

Coming to America Part 1

While Charlie and I feel extremely blessed to have the opportunity to live overseas for a time, there is a price.  We miss our family greatly, and depend on Skype to see them.  Luckily, the kids and I were able to visit, for the first time in three years!  We had a wonderful time and were able to see quite a few family members, and even some friends.

We left Tallinn around 1pm, had a layover in Munich and Chicago before finally arriving in Chattanooga at 11pm.  The trip went as smoothly as a trip that long can go with two young children.  They were troopers!  Mimi (my mom) was there at the airport to greet us and we stopped at the Huddle House for some breakfast before going to bed.  Although we were rather tired, we were up at 4am.  We headed to Alabama to spend time with all the family there.  The kids had a blast at Wendy & Dad's where they were able to enjoy the pool and Susan (pictured below), their newest kitty.  We were greeted with a lovely "Welcome Home" poster and balloons too!

I forgot my camera and Clara's iTouch is not cooperating with me so there are no more pictures right now of my Alabama trip.  We had a lovely time visiting with our family and Wendy prepared some delicious meals.  Everyone looked great and we felt very honored that so many people went out of their way to visit with us.  Tammy drove up from Anniston with the Michael and Paul, Anthony & Rena fit us in even though they spent the weekend out of town, Aunt Patsy & Uncle Jerry cut their vacation short to see us too, and Peyton and Pamela fit us in around their work schedules.  Seeing Tammy Marie  , Tracy and Preston was wonderful too!  Paul and Zach got along really well.  Zach was so sad after Paul left.  You can see us all together (minus Peyton as she was still working) in the post below.  

*About those goggles Zach is wearing above...they were waaay too snug but he insisted we put them on him.  They were immediately removed.  

Four Generations of Brookshires

We are having a fantastic visit with family back in the U.S.  As many families can relate, it is difficult to get most family members together with our hectic schedules.  Here you can see my grandfather, the patriarch, surrounded by children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. 

On a side note, while we were gathering on the front porch and my dad was getting ready to snap the picture, a lady driving by slowed down and offered to take the picture.  She pulled her car over and took several shots so that we could all be in the picture.  All I can say is...Sweet Home Alabama! 

Tomorrow we will get to visit with even more family and join together four generations on my mother's side.