June chuckles

~We let the kids pack themselves for our last trip. Discussing essentials, I suggested they pack an extra pair of underwear. Puzzled looks prompted me to say jokingly, "In case you get excited and have accident." Dan moved on to bringing an extra set of contacts. Derek, "In case I get excited?"

~Ever since the kids were little, when Dan is out of town we will have a 'sleepover'. (Kids sleep on the floor in my room.) Dan's out of town so we've had a sleepover all week. Last night Derek stood up around midnight and said, "That's it. I'm leaving." I asked why. He answered in mumbles. No sense at all. The kid was talking and standing in his sleep! I told him to lay back down. "OK."

~Lauren, after cleaning the kids' bathroom, "We have GOT to work on keeping that bathroom cleaner!"

More flowers in the yard

The owners did a fantastic job of picking flowers that bloom at different times. There's always something pretty to look at. I'm going to miss living here.

It's Friday, Friday

Today was Midsummer's Eve Day. It meant Dan had the day off. And that's about it.

The kids went to a birthday party at Linnanmäki, an amusement park in Helsinki. Derek got slammed into some sort of railing in the fun house and hurt his ribs. We're positive he's going to live. Lauren told us about going on the oldest roller coaster in the park and there was a guy in the back doing the brakes. Really? That seems...I don't know...wrong. Good thing I wasn't there to freak out about it. They both had a blast.

Dan and I chilled all day. Relaxing.

When the kids got home we talked about going to the Midsummer bonfires that were to be happening tonight. In the end we stayed home. Here's a picture of us at 11:00 pm right before the kids went to bed. Happy Midsummer!

5K 101...this time with kids!

Lauren and Derek are the newest members of the 5K 101 club. They would like to run so they can be better in sports. Lauren specifically wants more endurance. Derek wants to be faster. I would like to be faster, too, so this time around I'm going to work on my stride and pace.

First run was today. Four 2-minute intervals of running, with 3-minutes of walking in between. Now, the program is designed to get someone off the couch and running. My kids are not complete couch potatoes, so their pace was much faster than mine. I kept up with them for a couple of intervals, but mostly it looked like I was chasing them. :) It's all good. We're going to get Dan to join us on the days he's around and then we'll be one big happy running family.

Midsummer

An email from the relo service:

At midsummer, the people in the Nordic countries celebrate the lightest time of the year and the proper start of summer season. The short winter days are far behind and one can enjoy the long days and white nights of Nordic summer. Although an ancient feast, midsummer is still an important national festival in Finland, as well as in Sweden and Norway.

Midsummer is celebrated on June 24th, but in Finland (in year 1955) and Sweden (in year 1953), the date was moved to fall on the first Saturday after June 19th, on the initiative of labor organizations. The major midsummer festivities in Finland and Sweden take place on Midsummer Eve, the Friday preceding the Midsummer Day. The Midsummer Eve is a public holiday, only stores are open part of the day.

Midsummer is also the time of summer solstice, the culmination of summer and a turning point after which the days begin to slowly shorten again in the northern hemisphere. The day of summer solstice falls between the 20th and 22nd of June.

During the period called polar days, the nights are short and light, while in the regions north of the arctic circle the sun does not set below the horizon at all for several weeks. In Nuorgam, situated near the northernmost point of Finland, the sun does not set between the mid-May and the end of July.

This weekend the stores can be open as follows:
Fri 24.6. 7-12
Sat 25.6. closed
Sun 26.6. normal opening hours

It seems like there are a lot of holidays where stores are closed.

London, part 2

Sightseeing extravaganza!

Started at 9:00 and ended at 5ish.

Prince Albert monument

Kensington Palace
Former home of Princess Diana.
Future home of Will and Kate.

Different view of Westminster Abbey.

On the processional route to Buckingham Palace.

Beginning of the changing of the guard.
I thought it would be some guards walking out
 and switching places.
I had no idea it was a big parade thing.

Following our tour guide with the green umbrella.
The cheetah/tiger one was cooler.

Buckingham Palace



Derek was thrilled to be there.



More guards coming off duty from another location.

Lunch time!

Lauren and Derek orderded fish and chips.
Mostly for the chips.

Dan and I ordered steak pie.

Derek actually ate some of the fish.
Well, more like the breading.

Contemplative Dan.

Obligatory double decker bus picture.

St. Paul's Cathedral.
Celebrated its 300th anniversary the next day.

St. Paul's.
No pictures allowed inside.
It was stunning.

 I kept singing 'Feed the Birds' from Mary Poppins.
No idea if it's the same cathedral.

Tower of London.

While in line to see the crown jewels we saw this interesting group of guys.

No pictures allowed when seeing the jewels.
They were...amazing! Stunning! Unbelievable!
So many adjectives, so little time.

Boat ride on the Thames.

Tower of London from the Thames.
Good view of Traitor's Gate.

Tower Bridge

More from the boat.

Cleopatra's Needle.

(This monument was important in
the Kane Chronicles 'The Red Pyramid.'
When we got home the second book, 'The Throne of Fire'
was waiting for us.
Some parts are set in London and Lauren is tickled that she knows the places mentioned in the book!)

More from the boat.

One of L's BFFs suggested we visit
Hamleys, a gigantic toy store.
Five floors of happy madness.
My first thought was that it was like
Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium.
Each floor had at least 2-3 people at stations demonstrating products. Here, Derek trying out a remote controlled stunt car.

There's the happy boy we know and love.
He was absent most of the day.

Candy shop IN a toy store?
Genius.

Let me at those jelly beans.
Nom nom nom.

Darth Vader made of Legos.

What?!?
Taller than Dan?

Good day. Good trip. Thank you, London!

London, part 1

What is it with us and lines?
This is what greeted us at London Heathrow passport control.
1.5 hours later, we're on our way!

Heathrow Express.
Non-stop 15 minute train to the station right by our hotel.
So nice.

Happy.

Also happy.

The bigger than we thought it would be hotel room.
Only glitch was the last night when the lights wouldn't work.

Lucky for me she doesn't sleep like this.

Outside the hotel. 

Standard English breakfast.
Eggs, toast, bacon, tomato, mushroom, sausage, bubble and squeak, and something we couldn't identify.
(Bubble and squeak we later learned is like a potato pancake with cabbage in it.)



We took the tube (underground train) everywhere.
Surprisingly easy to use.
Mind the gap.



In the morning, London Eye and more.

More...

More...

In the capsule.

View of the other capsules.

Seen from the Eye.
Houses of Parliment with Big Ben.

Skyline

The kids kept saying they could see a cow.
I was looking for a regular cow. This is what they meant.

Skyline

River Thames

Westminster Abbey
where Will and Kate were married.
Oh my gosh!!!!

Obligatory picture of a red phone booth.
The one by our hotel was plastered with icky pictures.

Most of the other ones, including this one, smelled.
Lovely.

Derek was adamant we eat at a Burger King.
This one was at the Victoria train station.
Not pictured...two fearless pigeons who wanted to join us.

30 pence to use the toilet.
Some places were 50 pence.
I like to use the restroom for free.

In the afternoon,
Stonehenge.

Listening to the audio tour.
It was mind boggling to hear that this site was ancient by the time the Romans came.
Also mind boggling the theories of who built it and why.
None of us vote for the aliens.


At dinner, a minor miracle.
We ALL ate Indian food and liked it.


Good day!!