Month: November 2011

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Garden d’Lights

I’m not sure how many years it has been going but for the last few the Bellevue botanical garden puts on a display in the lead up to Christmas. We bought our tickets and set off to see what on earth it was all about. We made a quick pitstop at the Cheesecake Factory and then with darkness having descended and the rain having stopped we arrived.

The pictures probably don’t do it justice but it was a very pretty walk around the garden. There were squirrels, frogs, spiders, waterfalls, leaping salmon, the loch ness monster and a Christmas tree amongst other things:

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We’ll definitely be going back next year!

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Seattle Vacation

As work are very generous we had $250 to spend on some travel related activity before the end of the year and so with time running out we decided to book a night in a hotel in Seattle. We thought it would make a change as you don’t always take notice of the places nearby plus it would allow us to go up the Space Needle at night.

What we hadn’t planned on when we booked it was that the day we chose to go vacationing in Seattle was Black Friday, the day they were lighting the Seattle Christmas tree, the Macy’s parade and the turning on of the Space Needle Christmas lights. And as if that wasn’t enough we also had Occupy Seattle protests and rallies going on – blooming work shy hippies!

Black Friday is the equivalent of the Boxing Day sales but bigger. Most of them seemed to start at about midnight and people spend Thanksgiving day camping outside stores ready to bag a bargain. Early reports from Los Angeles included details of a woman who had used pepper spray on fellow shoppers as she was trying to bag herself a bargain! Apparently she didn’t managed to get the bargain but she did manage to escape into the crowds!

We arrived at the Hotel Monaco just after 11 and after checking in and confirming that we would have a goldfish delivered to the room for our stay, we went into Seattle to do our share our Black Friday shopping. Apparently, the average American spends over $700 each on Black Friday – fortunately the queues were so large that we didn’t get close to troubling this figure although I did get a very nice scarf from Nordstrom!

After Gap and Old Navy the boys were starving, or using this as an excuse to stop shopping, so we went for lunch at the Mexican restaurant in the shopping center. While having a very tasty lunch I forgot exactly were I was and accidentally let out a small-ish burp. Tracy dissolved into hysterics and Harry just sat over the table shaking his head in disgust at his father! Fortunately I don’t think any surrounding people heard – they were probably too busy wondering why Tracy was laughing so much.

After lunch and a quick visit to Macy’s we went back to the hotel to enjoy the suite and because Harry and Toby were desperate to spend some time with the goldfish! The fish had been christened Stanley (by Toby) and they spent most of the time watching it and asking if it was doing a poo!

At just before 5 we left the hotel and set off back into town to catch the mono-rail to the Space Needle. Getting to the mono-rail was far from straightforward as the streets were packed with people waiting for the tree lighting ceremony (about 40,000). We eventually made it and arrived to a much quieter Space Needle. We had the usual picture taken at the bottom of the elevator but this time Toby insisted on having a fish included. I’m not sure, 1) what the fish was doing there, and 2) why Toby wanted it in the picture but he was most insistent it was and I think it definitely brings a certain something to the picture!

Up the top of the Needle we were lucky that it was a mild and clear evening so we got a pretty good view of the surrounding area. After leaving the Needle we went over to the fountain and watched silly people getting wet trying to get to the middle and then watched people ice skating over near the Science Center.

After catching the mono-rail back to the center, we then saw the beautiful Macy’s Star and then got caught up in more hippy protest nonsense where they were marching through the streets of Seattle and then having sit downs in the middle of the road.Honestly, what is wrong with these people!? Shame that woman from LA wasn’t about with her pepper spray!

Next stop was the hotel bar where we indulged in some happy hour beer and wine plus some root beers for the boys. Toby then decided that he was tired so we all went upstairs to bed although by the time we got up to the room Toby had got second wind and the two of them lay in bed watching Shrek 2. I think they were probably the last of us to fall asleep.

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The following morning, after breakfast and checking out, we drove down to the Seattle Aquarium. We checked out the octopus, Toby decided he would touch a starfish this time and then we went to see the Toby fish, seals, otters and the fish of the Puget Sound. We then walked along the front going from one shop full of tat to another! The boys spent most of the time telling us that they didn’t want to go to the Crab Pot for lunch. I’m not sure why they are so traumatized by that restaurant but they are!

When we left the Aquarium we set off home via a brief stop at the Luther Burbank Park on Mercer Island. After both boys had had a wee by the side of the lake we had a short walk, a play in the playground and then set off home. They boys were desperately missing playing with balloons – the last thing they wanted was another day out!

httpv://youtu.be/WCQ56hwQW5k

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I wonder what next years $250 will be spent on?

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Chinese Song

If anyone has ever wondered how to sing happy birthday in Chinese, then today is your lucky day because Toby is going to sing it for you. I’m not quite sure what prompted him but this morning, before breakfast at the Hotel Monaco in Seattle, Toby burst into song (and then he was asked to sing it again so that it could recorded!):

httpv://youtu.be/nFVEBl2f9Jg

That’s one of the benefits of having a Chinese pre-school teacher!

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Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving got off to a similar start to Christmas – the boys were awake very early! There was a lot of chattering – at 6 in the morning – coming out of their bedroom. Fortunately grumpy Daddy was on hand to tell them to be quiet and go back to sleep! They did for a while I think, but I’m not really sure as I fell asleep and couldn’t get out of bed until 9 in the morning!

The evening before, after they boys had gone to bed, we put the Christmas tree up. When they went downstairs on Thanksgiving morning they had the surprise of a tree, some decorations and a handful of presents under the tree. I’m not sure if you are meant to get presents at Thanksgiving but we decided to introduce the concept of the Thanksgiving Fairy and that bought a few presents along for good children!

After finally struggling out of bed, I got downstairs just in time for the start of the Macy’s parade and to hear the pop of a champagne cork! It was getting more and more like Christmas! After a few crackers had been pulled it was time for some presents. They boys got a US soccer shirt each, Tracy got a pair of champagne glasses and I got a nice maple wood pen. I’d seen it at the Vasa Park craft show a few weeks earlier and Tracy had sneakily bought it when the craft show returned a week ago. Toby had only just managed to stop himself from telling me what it was since they’d bought it!

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After watching some of the parade, we played some blackjack and did some lego before our first ever Thanksgiving dinner. It consisted of the traditional selection of roast turkey, green bean casserole (cooked in Campbells Mushroom soup (that’s traditional too)), mashed potato, stuffing and some home made cranberry sauce. It was very nice but I think the Americans should learn to embrace the cocktail sausage wrapped in bacon (plus import a few other nibbly bits from M&S!).

Dinner was followed by some pumpkin pie with squirty cream which was very yummy. After having a snooze on the sofa – it had been a tough day – we watched Madagascar 2 and then went for a walk round the block to see what was happening and to get some fresh air. As we left the house for our stroll, Tracy was still in her nighty, and Harry and Toby still had their PJ trousers on! Thanksgiving clearly didn’t get the neighborhood quite as excited as Halloween because there was only one inflatable turkey in the area. A few other houses had lights and others still had pumpkins but that was about it.

Once we were home, it was bath time and then bed! Our first Thanksgiving was over and the excitement of Black Friday was about to begin!

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Thanksgiving Parade

It’s an opportunity for us all to give thanks for the harvest that has just passed (some time ago). Apparently tradition dictates that we all get up in the morning, turn TV on and watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade! Viewing figures top 44 million every year so I am very excited about what it will be like! I did some research and that has just made me even more excited. All the different balloons sound exciting enough but then I read about the incidents and injuries and now I really cannot wait! Check this list out…

In 1957, a Popeye the Sailor balloon’s hat filled with rain water during heavy rain, which caused the balloon to go off-course and pour water on the crowd. Oh my!

In 1985, the Kermit the Frog balloon tore at the stomach. No one was injured. Phew!

In 1986, a Raggedy Ann balloon crashed into a lamp post and sent a lamp into the street. The same year, a Superman balloon had its hand torn off by a tree. Neither incident caused any injuries.

In 1993, the Sonic the Hedgehog balloon crashed into a lamp post at Columbus Circle and injured an off-duty police officer.

In 1994, the Barney balloon tore its side on a lamppost, but no one was injured. I’m starting to think it is the lamp posts that are at fault here!

In 1995, the Dudley the Dragon balloon that was leading the parade was speared and deflated on a lamp post and showered glass on the crowd below. Wowsers!

In 1997, high winds pushed the Cat in the Hat balloon into a lamp post. The falling debris struck a parade-goer, fracturing her skull and left her in a coma for a month. Ok, that one is not funny.

Size rules were implemented the next year, eliminating larger balloons like the Cat in the Hat. The same high winds also caused the New York Police to stab and stomp down the Barney balloon over crowd concerns. They also stabbed a Pink Panther balloon for the same reason. Neither balloon actually caused any injuries. Brutal!

In 2005, the M&M’s chocolate candies balloon caught on a streetlight in Times Square. Two sisters were struck by falling debris, suffering minor injuries. As a result, new safety rules were introduced. Those rules came in handy for the 2006 parade, as balloons were lowered because of rain and high winds. The M&M’s balloon was retired after 2006, and replaced by a float saluting Broadway theatre and musicals.

And if that wasn’t enough let’s not even talk about the worldwide helium shortage of 2006!

I think I’m more excited about this than Christmas at the moment!

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Learning to Read

He’s got a gadget called a Tag which is apparently very good at helping children learn to read. One thing for sure is that it is probably easier to learn to read than to make the thing work in the first place. Anyway, after some time Tracy sorted it all out and after a few minutes playing with it he is starting to make some progress:

httpv://youtu.be/lBymBv_-OPs

After 5 minutes of this he got up and announced “oh, I can read”. What a clever boy!

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Chains, Frogs & Wine

Despite all the forecasts of snow there was none. It was definitely a chilly morning but no snow. This wasn’t going to stop us from completing the number 1 priority of the day which was getting snow chains for the car. Apparently when (if) it does snow round here then it is difficult to get up the hill to our house which means I will be working from home unless I have some chains. So we quickly discounted the idea of getting any for my car but we did need some for the VW though so that we can, after Christmas, put our chains on and head up to Snoqualmie to go ski-ing.

With the local news channels forecasting snow there had been panic buying of snow chains across the week with people waiting up to 3 hours to get theirs. We however went to Sears – a department store with its own garage – and got our chains within 10 minutes. Over the next few weeks we need to practice putting them on which I’m sure won’t be easy – certainly not as easy as it looks when they give demonstrations on the local news!

After leaving Sears we went over to Kirkland for a mooch round the shops – much to the boys disappointment. First of all though I was in desperate need of a haircut so I went into Bombay Clippers while Tracy and the boys went down to the waterfront. This was my first “professional” haircut in the US since I had my hair cut in the Excalibur hotel in Las Vegas on our honeymoon. After that hair cut we had bought a box of Krispy Kreme donuts and eaten them as we drove from Vegas to Death Valley. This time we walked around kitchen and Christmas shops. By this point we were all obviously starving, so we booked a table at the Barking Frog in Woodinville. We drove over there, into the boonies, and had a fab meal. Well Tracy and I did – the boys left the Barking Frog with two little boxes of food and the words that they would be having it reheated for their tea ringing in their ears! I had roasted chicken breast with pumpkin ravioli. I would have loved to have walked out with a box full of that for my tea but I’d scoffed it all and there was none left!

From the Barking Frog we went across to Chateau St Michelle to get a couple of bottles of the dessert wine we like. We had planned on doing some wine tasting too but it was far too busy – they clearly like their Saturday afternoon wine tasting round here. The boys were mightily relieved that they weren’t going to be subjected to wine tasting but instead they got dragged to the mall to do a spot of shopping! They weren’t happy! After a quick trip to Macys home store – to get some champagne flutes – we did go to Build a Bear to ease their suffering. Toby got a polar bear called Fluffy and Harry got a winter bear called Tubby (named after his Dad).

Much to their relief we went home after this. We’d only told them we were popping out in the morning to the shops and 6 hours later they finally arrived home again and were able to play balloon football. Poor children – what an awful day they had. They have been promised a quiet day at home tomorrow although we do need to pop out for a Thanksgiving turkey and then who knows where we’ll go after that!

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Champions!

The final game of the season. The first 7 had all been won but the league title was still not secure. If they lost to Tynecastle – today’s opposition – then there was a chance that they could still lose the title on goal difference. The afternoon didn’t get off to a good start – we were missing a coach! With about 15 minutes left before kick-off we grabbed a coach from an under 10 team and asked him to help out! Fortunately he didn’t have any other games to go to so he did.

The game kicked off and was a bit tense to be honest! As the coach hadn’t trained them before the players were in all sorts of different positions and it made for a nervous afternoon! However, an hour later the game was won. Just! Gunners won 3-2 – with Harry Stickman providing the assist for the winning goal – and they finished top of the table with a 100% winning record. The game was so tense that I forgot to take any pictures or video! Apart from this one of the team at the end:

Possibly not the greatest photographic tribute so maybe this one is better:

httpv://youtu.be/04854XqcfCY

And for the record, Harry’s team mates for his first American league season are as follows:

Marcos Acero-Blyshak
Benjamin Bonnofsky
Benjamin Burns
Daniel Buxton
Brian Guo
Niclas Isensee
George Lan
Finlay Linehan
Daniel Salgado, and
David Walker

And the results were:

v Tynecastle won 5-1
v Crossfire Premier Shull won 4-0
v Crossfire Premier Korn won 5-0
v Washington Premier FC won 7-1
v Pumas UNAM won 4-0
v Crossfire Premier Mercado won 4-0
v Crossfire Premier Shull won 7-2
v Tynecastle won 3-2

Go Gunners!!

 

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Museum of Flight

I hadn’t even realized there was a museum of flight in Seattle but someone at work said this week that it was an interesting place to go. After a bit of investigating and finding out that there was a concorde there I thought the boys should go. We’ve had a few years of having to hear all about posh Tracy’s adventures on concorde and the QE2 so today was a chance for us to level things up a little!

The museum was north of the airport and south of Seattle and about half an hour from home. We got there just after 10 and there was already a fair old queue. We went straight across to see concorde before the rain started. The boys were super excited about going on it but they, like I, couldn’t believe how small it was when you were inside. Good job it went so fast because it looked pretty cramped! It flew from New York to Seattle in 3 hours 55 minutes and 12 seconds – not sure how long the flight is normally but I will investigate!

After concorde it was across to Airforce One – the plane that JFK flew in. This plane was a little more comfortable although I think the President of the USA deserved slightly better toilets! At the end of the day Airforce One won the “best plane of the day” from both boys.

After Airforce One we saw – but could not go in – the first ever jumbo which now looked a bit of a state. Then it was back across to the main building to check out all sorts of weird and wonderful planes. They ranged from the various WW1 and WW2 planes, NASA planes, the Blue Angels, postal planes and flying bath tubs! There was also a video clip of the Banana Splits. I’m not 100% sure of the connection but it was good to watch a couple of minutes video of this! It was a very interesting few hours and at least we can all say we’ve been on concorde now!

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And so that was the museum of flight. We’d seen Airforce One, the first ever jumbo jet, concorde, and just when we thought there was nothing else to see, as we left the car park we saw a couple of RyanAir planes on the tarmac – obviously waiting to be collected!

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Toby’s Photographs

For his 5th birthday Toby wanted a new camera. He is getting the picture taking bug (from somewhere!) and so today we are officially unveiling his first collection. There is quite a lot of repetition however it is interesting to see a Toby view on what is picture worthy! In amongst them all there are a few artistic ones – I think the Seattle skyline is pretty impressive! There are also a handful of pictures of him – mainly taken by Harry but some are self portraits!

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More will follow over time – and we will see how his picture taking improves!

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Soccer, Ski’s & Tests

Last week was quite a busy one but without anything really major happening – although maybe that is being a bit harsh on Tracy as she had a very important activity – her driving test. Having managed to go 6 months without taking the test – through no fault of her own – a visit from her Dad, followed by a bit of nagging from him meant that she had to do her test! The theory part had been negotiated successfully a couple of weeks earlier and on Wednesday it was time for the practical. Fortunately I had spent the last few months teaching her how to drive and giving insider tips on how to pass the test! Luckily all this training worked and Tracy managed to pass her test with a score of 98% – which was just 1% shy of what my pass mark was (if memory serves me correctly!).

For some reason Tracy doubted that I would believe she scored 98% so she took a photo to prove it:

Now if I were suspicious I would say that the 98 in the bottom corner looks just like her hand writing but luckily I’m not! The temporary card has been issued so Grandad can rest easy that his daughter is now legal!

On Wednesday evening we went over to Seattle to watch the Sounders play Real Salt Lake in the second leg of the play-offs. They lost the first match on Saturday 3-0 so we had our arms, fingers and legs crossed hoping for a super comeback so that their season would last a few more weeks.

Before the game the US Open Cup which we had watch them win a few weeks earlier was on display and available for photo opportunities:

They were pretty much the same size as Toby but maybe one day one (or both) of those little boys in the picture will be lifting a cup of their own! In the pouring rain we settled into our seats and got ready for the game:

httpv://youtu.be/o-mYj05Ga9w

Although Seattle scored twice in the second half, it wasn’t enough and the soccer season ended on Wednesday night. I think that only leaves us with the American football for the remainder of this year until the baseball and soccer seasons start again in April.

The rest of the week was quiet quiet. Toby was showing off at pre-school, rounding all the girls up in his class and making them watch him as he climbed to the top of the climbing frame and jumped off. Apparently they were very impressed! Little show off!

We also went to Sports Authority and got Harry’s ski gear ready for his school lessons that start in the New Year – lucky boy! We thought that maybe this was a bit unfair on Toby so we decided to lease him some gear for the season too, so come the New Year we will have to take them both up to Snoqualmie Pass and set them off on the slopes! Tracy and I can sit by the fire drinking wine while they have lessons, although maybe we should learn too.

On Saturday we went to see Puss in Boots – even though Toby didn’t want to and insisted afterwards that it was boring! Boring is his new word of the week. He’s always bored or everything is boring. On Sunday morning he had forgotten that the film was boring and announced that he’d actually quite enjoyed it! It was also time for some grass cutting this weekend once the heavy frost had melted. It was only the third time I’ve had to cut the grass since we moved here which is brilliant!

On Sunday afternoon, it was time for the Gunners to play two soccer matches. They maintained their 100% winning record and won the first game 4-0 and the second 7-2 with Harry Stickman scoring a hat-trick. They only have 1 game left this season against the team second in the league . If they win on Sunday they will win the league which would mark the end of a very successful few months of soccer for Harry with a league and cup win. But we mustn’t count our chickens just yet!

httpv://youtu.be/A4pEmSS_Y2s