Tuesday, November 28, 2017

An American Thanksgiving. At an Irish Bar. In Prague.

Way back in early October, I had made a solo trip to Prague for work.  I left the girls at school on Friday morning and spent the next few days doing back to back photo shoots for families in search of the yearly holiday/family photo.  The girls were so disappointed that I was going without them that I promised a trip back at our next break (late November), to make it up to them.  

And that is just what we did for 5 days last week!  This time we were there to visit though (I only did one photoshoot!) and so the pictures are limited to what I snapped on my iPhone in between driving the girls to sleepovers, playdates, school (yep, I put them in school on Friday for maximum enjoyment of their friends), Thanksgiving dinner, a birthday party, and a trip to the ballet.  Which means that there are not very many as I spent a lot of time in the car.  At the end of the weekend, we had one sick girl (from exhaustion the dr. said) and one that was close to it.  But it was well worth it!  Prague always shows us a good time, and we can't wait to do it again.  This time maybe with a little less on the schedule.

Stinkerbell, J and O at their bowling date!


Our new friend at the Swan's on the Vltava (my one photo shoot).  This spot is a favorite.



Ready to head out to Thanksgiving dinner.  At an Irish bar.  In Prague.  We are definitely not in Kansas anymore :)


The way the Irish do American Thanksgiving.  It wasn't exact but it was pretty close.


Fast, faster, fastest.



A girls night out.  Sadly, we were talking so much that we didn't get a picture of all of us together.  This is the final 3 at the wine bar at the end of the night.


Another sleepover!


The theatre where we saw O perform (as a boy!) in the Nutcracker.



That's O (6th from the right)





After a quick congratulation and goodbye to O, we hit the road and headed back home.

Until next time Prague.



























Sunday, August 27, 2017

California Dreaming

It had been 1314 days since we had last visited California.  That is a total of 3 years, 7 months and 6 days. Way too long if you ask any of the girls in our family.  Time to remedy that situation. And remedy it we did.  The girls and I got to spend a glorious week with 2 of our best friends and their families.  A week of catching up and reminiscing, playing outside at the beach, the pool and in the neighborhood, and one fabulous day spent at the Orange County Fair.

We landed just before 11 pm putting us back at S's house after midnight.  There would be no screaming reunions with lots of chatter - until morning.  But we didn't have much time as we had to get to the fair pretty early because it was discount ride day and we expected crowds (which never showed up but all the better for us).  While the kids rode ride after ride after ride, all that seemed to spin them in circles, the 3 big girls talked and talked and talked (and might have had a beer...or two).

We spent the entire day in the California sunshine laughing and having a blast.  What better way to kick off our stay back "home" in the OC.