Meandering Around the World

Ireland

My favorite part of the trip was Dublinia, a Viking Museum. It was interesting and fun, you could dress up as a Viking or a 14th century peasant. We learned about the Black plague and fairs in medieval times and it wasn’t boring.

My second favorite thing was Granny Gertie’s birthday party because I got to see all my cousins and got to celebrate with her, I have 23 Dixon cousins. My father put together a slide show which showed all of my cousins and Grannie Gertie growing up.

My third favorite thing was Fungie the dolphin. We got on a boat and he swam up next to us and played around, jumping in and out of the water. He never leaves dingle bay, he has been here for 28 years.

This has been a lovely, lovely trip. We have had a fabulous time in Ireland seeing family, especially the kids getting to see and really play with all their cousins. We celebrated his mother’s 90th birthday with a formal luncheon for 100 in a castle that is three times older than the United States of America. The girls have been doting on their tiniest cousin, four year old Ronan, while DE is never happier than sitting with a clutch of his older boy cousins.

Today we drove for about six hours to get from Vincent’s mother’s place in Kilkenny to his sister-in-laws parents’ house in Dingle which they were kind enough to let us borrow. On the way, Miriam got sick twice. We arrived at 8 at night, starving, with no food in the house. Fortunately when David Evan had been sent to the 2 euro store to get snacks for the road he had picked up some instant ramen (seriously, instead of cookies), so that was what we had for dinner. By the time we got everything sorted out it was 9:30 pm and the girls started to completely melt down. We have got to get onto a regular bedtime schedule. But unfortunately, just as I was dealing with them, David Evan calls from the bathroom “I’m throwing up in here, if anybody cares” so then I had to deal with him which of course left the girls out of sorts. Vincent was off dealing with the mess of having lost his wallet and green card. So now the girls are finally in bed, DE is beside me, having mildly puked in a bowl right next to my pillow. Oh, the joy, the unadulterated bliss of motherhood.

But then, “Mommy, I’m cold, can you cuddle me?”. And it really is all worth it.

"Mommy, the museums here are amazing! They make the ones in New York seems pathetic! Can we move here?" This was the general consensus from all three kids, even, unbelievably, my normally museum hating son. I'm ... [Continue reading this entry]

Vincent's mother is turning 90 this year and so the entire Dixon clan are throwing a huge party. In a Castle no less, the actual 600 year old Butler Castle in Kilkenny. Should be quite a show. ... [Continue reading this entry]

We are going to London and Ireland over our Spring Break. It is Vincent's mom's 90th birthday and the whole Dixon clan is getting together which should be lots of fun. We are starting off in London to ... [Continue reading this entry]