Monday, March 31, 2003

tourist mode: on!
We had a great day in London. We took a sightseeing tour bus, which turned out to be a very good idea. It helped us get oriented, and figure out where we want to spend more time. And just being on the top of the bus was a big hit, till Clara got cold (wimp). We got off the bus at the Tower of London, and spent a few hours there. The girls were less interested in the Crown Jewels than I had guessed, but they really enjoyed talking to characters from the history of the Tower. There was the wife of a warden of the tower, a soldier, and a lord who was imprisoned for marrying the king's cousin without his permission.

We had hoped to take a boat ride up the Thames from the Tower, but the schedules didn't work well, so we got back on the tour bus for a ride to Hyde Park Corner. Got off there and spent hours walking through Kensington Park on a glorious spring afternoon. Flowers, dogs, boats, ice cream... happy family. Then looked for a place to eat on the walk back to the hotel, but didn't find anything until we were back, so we ate at a table outside a pub. I was pleased they had an Indian platter (for Ellie) as well as fish and chips, but Mallary broke down and walked to Burger King to get some nuggets for Clara.

Tomorrow: the London Eye, Westminster Abbey, and whatever else we run across!
posted by Tom 2:23 PM

Sunday, March 30, 2003

we made it
runing on two hours sleep, but at least we can blog from the BT Blue Box (like a phone booth) across from the hotel. Flight fine, weather beautiful, 60F and sunny! More later...
posted by Tom 7:15 AM

Saturday, March 29, 2003

last-minute excitement
Clara complained of a sore throat last night and asked for a Dimetapp lollipop, whereupon Ellie decided her throat was also sore. This morning, Clara said it was better, though still a bit sore. Ellie said the same. Fortunately, our pediatric practice has Saturday hours. Verdict: Clara was positive for strep, for the second time in two weeks! Ellie was negative of course. To be prudent, the doc prescribed for Ellie as well, in case she starts showing symptoms in London. Both seem to feel fine.
posted by Tom 1:41 PM

Friday, March 28, 2003

dental precocity
Ellie had been complaining about some back teeth recently; fortunately she had a dental checkup scheduled already. The dentist reports that Ellie has no cavities, but is starting to get her six-year molars. This news turned four-year-old Ellie's pain into pride. And even better: she has two loose teeth!

Dr. Graye said this isn't that unusual: good nutrition is lowering the age at which the new teeth arrive. And Ellie eats very nutriciously! (That makes one of us.)
posted by Tom 4:26 PM

posting (in)frequency
I finally finished my current book - a 700+ page Elizabeth George mystery. I hope to do a bit more blogging now (after vacation, if there isn't a convenient Internet cafe). I remember Liz telling me about a trip to London years ago, where she packed "Presumed Innocent" for the trip. Bad choice -- she didn't want to leave the hotel room! I've picked a couple of books that I hope to enjoy, but not too much.
posted by Tom 4:21 PM

Tuesday, March 25, 2003

travel arrangements
Here is our flight information:

Virgin Atlantic VS002	Newark -> Heathrow	departs March 29, 9:25 pm EST
Virgin Atlantic VS001	Heathrow -> Newark	arrives April 5, 6:40 pm EST

We will be staying at the Kensington Manor Hotel. A British friend at work helped me figure out the number to dial from the US to reach the hotel: 011 44 20 7370 7516.

A more direct alternative is probably to call Mallary's cellphone: she has found an arrangement that allows her to use a rented GSM phone, but with her regular phone number(+1.908.230.5114). At a buck a minute (to us), I wouldn't call it cheap, but it *is* cheaper than standard rates calling the UK (about twice as much).
posted by Tom 11:38 AM

Wednesday, March 19, 2003

homework helper
I just checked in to see how Clara was coming with her homework. Her report: "Ellie is helping me with my word search, and she actually found one!"
posted by Tom 6:08 PM

Saturday, March 08, 2003

Born to nosh
Two of Ellie's distinctive traits make it difficult to take her out to eat: her love of so many different kinds of food, and her aversion to making decisions. When Clara and I stayed an extra day in Austin, Mallary took Ellie to the Westfield Diner for dinner. Ellie had spaghetti, mozarella sticks, chicken soup, and spanikopita. She made Mallary save the receipt so they wouldn't forget what to order next time.

Mallary has the perfect solution for our dining quandary: Indian buffet!
posted by Tom 4:09 PM

Clara - Fidophile
Clara's fear of dogs certainly seemed to vanish while visiting Ralph and Andri in Austin--- but we weren't sure it was gone for good. She had befriended certain individual dogs in the past. We knew the test would come when confronted with dogs that had intimidated her in the past.

Today she went to Hannah's house for a playdate, and professed to be anxious to see Dr. Seuss, their friendly but barky retriever. As we walked to the front door, she asked if I would go first. But once inside the house, she was petting Dr. Seuss and showing no signs of nervousness.

Maybe Ralph and Andri should use their dogs to open a clinic for those with a fear of dogs!
posted by Tom 4:01 PM

Sunday, March 02, 2003

office correspondence
Ellie sat down at the PC to type the following note:

you are cooL
GirL
to;samantha
from your
Best
friend.eLLie

When asked who Samantha is, Ellie replied, "Someone from work."
posted by Tom 8:27 PM