2011-05-20
The Flat Jordan Project
An excellent movie I saw recently (notice how I didn't say a recent movie I saw?) was Up In the Air starring George Clooney. His character travels all across the country for job - which is to lay people off. So where am I going with this? Well his sister is getting married and they don't have a lot of money to go on a honeymoon. So they ask all their friends and families to take a cardboard cut out of them during their travels and take a picture at major attractions. This essentially sums up the project my nephew, Jordan, has been assigned in Grade 1. What perfect timing for our trip! So now we take Flat Jordan and Flat Kadence (his sister) along on our travels which explains why we are holding these drawings up in our pictures. Hopefully Jordan gets an A+ on his school project!
Review on the Run: Big Ben (2.5 of 5), Trafalgar Square (2 of 5), National Gallery (4 of 5), Picadilly Circus (2 of 5)
Day 4 was part of the "If you are in London you have to go see these things since you are in London" type activities which met my expectations for the most part.
Big Ben (2.5 of 5)
Your kids interested in the Parliamentary system in Britain? Didn't think so. If you didn't know, "Big Ben" is the bell inside the clock tower connected to the Palace of Westminster. Not the clock tower itself. Anyways, these are one of those attractions where it is best viewed from afar. Probably across the river would be best. I guess I don't that excited about these things and neither did the kids.
Trafalgar Square (2 of 5)
Located at the entrance way of the National Gallery, this space was a big disappointment to me. The major reason is that I've been to a couple of the great "squares" in the world. Most notably Tienanmen Square in Beijing (along with every other square in China for that matter) puts this one to shame. In fact - I would argue that the space in front of the Legislature building in Edmonton is better than here. If it wasn't for the lion statues that made for some good pics I would've given this a 1 of 5.
National Gallery (4 of 5)
I'm not an art lover but did this ever turn out to be a great surprise for me. Even I got caught up into seeing the works of Van Gogh, Da Vinci, and Monet. We started out by having afternoon tea in the cafe. Clotted cream and strawberry preserves on a scone was awesome! To keep the Chloe interested, we had a Scavenger Hunt that did the trick. In a map of the place, they had 16 featured paintings and their locations on the map. We got Chloe to navigate us around and find the "missing pictures". It kept her, and the attendants in each room, very entertained. I can't wait for the Louvre :)
Picadilly Circus (2 of 5)
The tourist trap location if I ever saw one - but yet we still visited. Any major North American city has an area like this, and it is the very reason why I didn't care for the area. It was a London that I didn't recognize or really wish to be a part of. It is a very cheezy place with very cheezy attractions like Ripley's Believe It or Not. We spent little time there but looking back on it now it is a great place to people watch as you get some very eccentric characters here.
Big Ben (2.5 of 5)
Your kids interested in the Parliamentary system in Britain? Didn't think so. If you didn't know, "Big Ben" is the bell inside the clock tower connected to the Palace of Westminster. Not the clock tower itself. Anyways, these are one of those attractions where it is best viewed from afar. Probably across the river would be best. I guess I don't that excited about these things and neither did the kids.
Trafalgar Square (2 of 5)
Located at the entrance way of the National Gallery, this space was a big disappointment to me. The major reason is that I've been to a couple of the great "squares" in the world. Most notably Tienanmen Square in Beijing (along with every other square in China for that matter) puts this one to shame. In fact - I would argue that the space in front of the Legislature building in Edmonton is better than here. If it wasn't for the lion statues that made for some good pics I would've given this a 1 of 5.
National Gallery (4 of 5)
I'm not an art lover but did this ever turn out to be a great surprise for me. Even I got caught up into seeing the works of Van Gogh, Da Vinci, and Monet. We started out by having afternoon tea in the cafe. Clotted cream and strawberry preserves on a scone was awesome! To keep the Chloe interested, we had a Scavenger Hunt that did the trick. In a map of the place, they had 16 featured paintings and their locations on the map. We got Chloe to navigate us around and find the "missing pictures". It kept her, and the attendants in each room, very entertained. I can't wait for the Louvre :)
Picadilly Circus (2 of 5)
The tourist trap location if I ever saw one - but yet we still visited. Any major North American city has an area like this, and it is the very reason why I didn't care for the area. It was a London that I didn't recognize or really wish to be a part of. It is a very cheezy place with very cheezy attractions like Ripley's Believe It or Not. We spent little time there but looking back on it now it is a great place to people watch as you get some very eccentric characters here.
Review on the Run: Natural History Museum (5 of 5), Science Museum (4 of 5), Victoria & Albert Museum (2.5 of 5)
Day 3 brought on a tri-fecta of museums that were conveniently bunched within a 10 minute walk from one another.
Natural History Museum (5 of 5)
Just a 10 minute walk from our rental, the concept of a Natural History museum is nothing new to a city nor is there anything in this one that is distinctly British. The big difference is that this venue is nothing short of superb in every aspect of the word. Every major city in the world has their own version of this concept and I've been to a few. So why the fuss? When you first approach the entrance, it is so dramatic and grand that you can't help but admire the architecture on the outside. Inside, they have different subject matters such as volcanoes, ecology, dinosaurs, evolution, bugs, gemstones (the list goes on...) with each section having so much thought and detail put into it that they are excellent on their own. The best part? It's FREE. They have something for everyone so if the kids get bored here - you mind as well pack up and go back on the plane since all hope would be lost. Chloe's personal favorite was the 110 karat "sundrop" diamond they had in the vault. Um, I think Daddy may have to get a second job to get that one honey...
Science Museum (4 of 5)
Around the corner from the Natural History Museum was the Science Museum. Think Telus World of Science on steroids, HGH, and everything else Barry Bonds has taken. It is a high-tech, interactive, hand-ons place with some significant historical sections paying homage to our journey's in air and space. On the ground level was a replica of the V2 rocket that spans at least 100 m that is pretty darn cool. The Launchpad area should only be entered if you don't want to leave for the next 2 hours - so beware. The kids will have fun interacting with the displays and the helpful assistants. My only real beef about the Science Museum is it seems to be very confused and disjointed. The air and space section, that represent an extremely large area, although excellent, seemed to have no place being here. Much more appropriate in an aviation type place. In addition, the third level (the "future" level) is such waste of space that I'm surprised people would spend more than 10 minutes there. But will the kids care though? Not one bit.
Victoria & Albert Museum (2.5 of 5)
We stretched it this day, but the V&A was right across the street from the Science Museum that we decided to go for it. The V&A concentrates on the history of ceramics, textiles, fashion, and jewelery. Can you imagine the conversation with your kid? "Hey Chloe. Would you like to see dinosaurs, volcanoes, and space shuttles? Or would you rather see bowls and pieces of cloth?" If you are on your own this may interest you, but with kids I would leave this to the end of the day or take in during their nap. One great surprise though - which is why I gave it 2.5 of 5, was the courtyard. It is an awesome place to relax and get away from the heat and recharge your batteries for a bit. I felt like I was in an Italian oasis there and they have a splash pond to cool down. A great picnic area!
Natural History Museum (5 of 5)
Just a 10 minute walk from our rental, the concept of a Natural History museum is nothing new to a city nor is there anything in this one that is distinctly British. The big difference is that this venue is nothing short of superb in every aspect of the word. Every major city in the world has their own version of this concept and I've been to a few. So why the fuss? When you first approach the entrance, it is so dramatic and grand that you can't help but admire the architecture on the outside. Inside, they have different subject matters such as volcanoes, ecology, dinosaurs, evolution, bugs, gemstones (the list goes on...) with each section having so much thought and detail put into it that they are excellent on their own. The best part? It's FREE. They have something for everyone so if the kids get bored here - you mind as well pack up and go back on the plane since all hope would be lost. Chloe's personal favorite was the 110 karat "sundrop" diamond they had in the vault. Um, I think Daddy may have to get a second job to get that one honey...
Science Museum (4 of 5)
Around the corner from the Natural History Museum was the Science Museum. Think Telus World of Science on steroids, HGH, and everything else Barry Bonds has taken. It is a high-tech, interactive, hand-ons place with some significant historical sections paying homage to our journey's in air and space. On the ground level was a replica of the V2 rocket that spans at least 100 m that is pretty darn cool. The Launchpad area should only be entered if you don't want to leave for the next 2 hours - so beware. The kids will have fun interacting with the displays and the helpful assistants. My only real beef about the Science Museum is it seems to be very confused and disjointed. The air and space section, that represent an extremely large area, although excellent, seemed to have no place being here. Much more appropriate in an aviation type place. In addition, the third level (the "future" level) is such waste of space that I'm surprised people would spend more than 10 minutes there. But will the kids care though? Not one bit.
Victoria & Albert Museum (2.5 of 5)
We stretched it this day, but the V&A was right across the street from the Science Museum that we decided to go for it. The V&A concentrates on the history of ceramics, textiles, fashion, and jewelery. Can you imagine the conversation with your kid? "Hey Chloe. Would you like to see dinosaurs, volcanoes, and space shuttles? Or would you rather see bowls and pieces of cloth?" If you are on your own this may interest you, but with kids I would leave this to the end of the day or take in during their nap. One great surprise though - which is why I gave it 2.5 of 5, was the courtyard. It is an awesome place to relax and get away from the heat and recharge your batteries for a bit. I felt like I was in an Italian oasis there and they have a splash pond to cool down. A great picnic area!
2011-05-19
Review on the Run: Hyde Park (4 of 5)
This is the first of many reviews that I hope to be writing. All of which will have a focus on family friendly things.
Sounds massive doesn't it? Well it is and it isn't. I don't know but I just expected it to be a monster playground a la Disney. The best description would be that it is 5 playgrounds that are co-located together with distinct themes paying homage to Peter Pan. It wasn't crowded at all and everything was well thought out with each area being purposely secluded from one another to give a more intimate setting. One thing that we immediately noticed was the gates surrounding the whole playground that has a guard controlling entries and exits to serve two purposes: 1) To keep your kids in; and 2) To keep the bad guys out.
The star of the playground was of course Captain Hooks Pirate ship in actual sand! What a nice change from the recycled tires we get back in Cowtown. This structure was a real hit with Chloe and Isaac. It's amazing to see how kids can relate to one another so fast. They don't care how you look or where you are from - all they care is if you want to help find the lost key to the missing treasure and you are good in their books. Chloe has been here a day and she's made more friends than Mommy and Daddy. She met Charlotte from N.Y. and they became best buds - which is why she is in so many of the pictures.
The next major play area we were in for a while is what is supposed to represent the fortress where all the kids in Neverland stayed. Here there is a labyrinth of bridges, slides, poles, springboards, and totem poles that is really quite neat. Chloe and Charlotte must've ran a good 2km here.
Three hours at the playground went by fast - well worth the visit. I'm sure we'll come back latter on in the week.
Cleanliness: 4 of 5 [for a playground this is saying something]
Fun Factor: 5 of 5 [a lot of variation for all age groups]
Appropriate for: All Ages [Sweet spot is 2-8]
2011-05-18
Jet Lag
The kids are finally asleep, I finally finished clipping their nails using my superb yogic positions hovering over the bed, and I have some peace and quiet to sit down and have a Nutella sandwich and blog a little.
Chloe's been escaping bed time all night, telling us seriously, I'm not tired! Not tired! Not tired! Even when shut inside a room with nothing to do, she made Isaac laugh hysterically by showing him the joys of a belly button. After physically trying to throw her out of the room, she finally conceded.
All things considering, jet lag hasn't been that bad. I don't feel any more tired than usual, probably because my kids have trained me well. I must have been jet lagged every day for the past 4 years.
Here's what helped so far:
1) Sleeping on the plane. Our flight departed at 6:25PM. We brought bed time books, tooth brush, and went to sleep at 10PM -- except fancy daddy, who can't sleep anywhere other than a bed.
2) Agreeing on punishment for daddy for sleeping during the day. Chloe gets to spray water on daddy's face if he falls asleep. That kept him up for 3 extra hours and kept Chloe entertained for 3 hours.
3) Agreeing on a reward for Chloe for waking up after a short nap. Right before she fell asleep at 2PM, I bribed her with a kinder chocolate egg and told her I will be waking her up to eat her chocolate egg. When she wouldn't wake up, I threatened to eat it.
4) Staying outside in the daylight. We went to a park for the whole day today and let Chloe run her laps around. That's supposed to tire her out for an earlier bedtime. But the kid's a machine that still lasted past midnight...
5) Co-sleeping. No need for cribs or large sleep association tools. No need to rush home for Isaac's naps. They sleep when we sleep. They wake up at night to see us sleeping, and fall back asleep, knowing it's not time to get up yet. Threaten to kick them out of the our room and they comply. Of course, it's a double-edged sword. I can't stay up running errands like fixing grandpa's phone account overseas. That probably brought on the belly button show and tell at 12 AM.
Better luck tomorrow.
Somewhere Over the Atlantic
[May 16@11:31 MDT]
So here I am – on an airplane with no prospect of sleeping anytime soon. I've never been able to sleep on an airplane… ever. The kids are asleep, Mommy is asleep, and so is everyone else. Today has been uneventful and we already are reaping the benefits of packing light.
A nice surprise was that the plane was less than half full. It made me think of a person I took road trip with who works for Westjet. In between almost getting into a fight with a bunch of Justin Beiber look-alikes [another story over some beers], I asked him what the price point for Westjet was to turn a profit. Averaging all flight segments across the board, he said as long as a person pays $62 and the plane was half full he was making a profit. WTF? You’re kidding me right? Here the airlines give these sob stories about rising fuel costs etc, and your price point is $62? Makes me think about what the Air Canada price point is for the flight I’m on right now…
New Pictures Page
I've added a new Pictures tab for links to pictures where we have also store the bigger collection of photos. I'll try to be disciplined and add a little everyday for each album so check back often. A couple of pics from our first day are already up.
Enjoy.
Enjoy.
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