Dance Party

Merrit, in particular, has been known to cut a rug or two at weddings...eh, Durenda and Page? Yesterday's Royal Wedding was no different. Ollie got in on the action, too.

Beach Party for William and Kate

Today is the big day. The wedding.  Everyone has been abuzz this week, counting down the days to the Royal Wedding. To be here, in the U.K., for this historic and fun event was pretty cool. We were invited by a friend to head down to a beachfront restaurant that was hosting a party. Which was fine, because the alternative was just sad: The boys and I watching the BBC all day here in the living room!

We arrived at the restaurant at 10am, and grabbed a table near the TV. The boys and I were with a group of three couples and four kids. (Mike had to work. Boo. Hiss. That's not very patriotic.) The 10-pound entry fee for me (kids = free) covered a cup of tea on arrival, a barbeque lunch, face painting for the kids, a children's entertainer who had dances, games, and prizes for the kids, an appearance by a Kate Middleton look-alike, and a glass of Pimm's to toast the new couple for their kiss on the balcony.

We finally left at about 4pm, walked home, and the boys promptly took naps on the couch. They spent most of the day dancing outside or running on the beach, so they were primed to crash. And they did. For my part, I wanted more, so I flipped on the BBC and am watching even more of the coverage, even as I type this. Recaps of the day's high points: The ceremony, the carriage ride, the horses, the balcony kiss, the crowds, the Aston Martin. Designers discussing the wedding gown, the morning suits, and all the fab hats. Coverage of parties in the streets and pubs across the country. It's all just too much fun. It's probably just as well that Mike had to work. By this point, he'd be SO done.

Here's our day in pictures:

Shop windows are all done up. Here's one charity shop window.

Congratulations banners in many shop windows.

Another charity shop window. Passed this one on our walk to the restaurant.

The view from where I sat. One of the boys in our group brought a bouquet of
pink roses for our table. Sweet.

Merrit's friend Jacob getting his face painted.

The boys ordering at the bar.
Water.

Playing a game called Pass the Parcel. Sort of like Musical Chairs; when
the music stops, if you're holding the bag, you unzip it and claim your prize
and pass it on for the next round. The bag is sort of like those Russian dolls:
A bag inside a bag inside a bag and so on. Cute game. 

Bunting.

The adults got in on the face painting, too.

Ollie didn't want face paint, though.

A patriotic gent.

Doing the hokey pokey. The smoke is from the barbeque grill.

A toast!

Playing outside with friends.

New friend Joanne and her son.

New friend Steph and her daughter.

The view from the restaurant window.

Ollie taking a breather before more dance-partying.

The kids had great fun on the beach.
The weather was decent; some spattering of rain
here and there. Warmer in the morning but right cold
by the mid-afternoon.

I thought barbeques were downright American...?

Well, the Cumberland sausages gave this meal a bit more of a British flair.

Listening to the Kate Middleton-esque singer performing.

Lovely Leeds

Five days and four nights in Leeds. Sounds great? But...

Mike and I were both starting to get cold feet about having booked this trip when everyone we talked to about it said something to the effect of, "Leeds? Why Leeds?" Did we get blinded by a great deal hawked off on us by the travel agent?

Turns out, Leeds is a pretty cool city with its own unique personality, the Royal Armory museum (free!), fantastic parks (also free!), and lots of great restaurants. There are also tons of high-end stores and boutiques; with stores like Diesel, Vivienne Westwood, and Harvey Nichols, a girl could get into trouble...fast. (I didn't really shop, just bought one pair of cute three-inch wedge sandals.)

So, join us in this photo-journal recap of our Easter weekend with the kids. In Leeds! Yes, Leeds.

The view from the bridge just behind our hotel. We checked in late Thursday night
after a 1-1/2 hour train ride. Our hotel was located in the Brewery Wharf
district, where the Tetley's Brewery plant is, on the River Aire.

The boys had fun playing with the water in this sculpture/fountain.
Friday was a gorgeous day! Actually, all four days we were blessed
with lovely weather!

On our way to The Corn Exchange.

This building, The Corn Exchange, used to be a market for wheat, corn, and other
grain to be bought and sold. It's been completely gutted and redesigned
for shopping and dining. What a remarkable building!

If there's a guitar shop ANYWHERE in a city, Ollie will find
it. The man who owned this store immediately asked about
our accent. He himself is from Virginia. It was nice to hear a
voice from home.

Taking a mid-morning smoothie break.
Yes, he's smooth too!

Outside the Royal Armory museum.

The boys won't get anywhere with Mike leaning on the ball like that!
Mike says the hallmark of great city-street sculpture is that people
engage with it--climb it, sit on it, etc.

Family portrait.

Clarence Dock, an area of the city that has just recently been renovated.

What kind of boats are these? They sort of look like barges but people seem
to live--or at least sleep--on them. Houseboats? Cruisers? Pretty cool.

England's only cemetery at 45-degrees. When the high-
speed rail came through, the gravesites were left alone, but the
headstones were relocated along the slope of the man-made
hillside. The vicar of Leeds Parish Church insisted that
the headstones be placed directly above their respective
gravesites. At least, this is the story they told us as we passed by
the site on our tour bus.

A good value, and a lot of fun. Of course, Ollie was thrilled to ride on the
second story of a double-decker bus!

A narrated tour like this is a dream for anyone with even a passing
interest in architectural styles. It was awesome.

Inside the Royal Armory museum. This stairwell is decorated with all kinds
of breastplates, spears, swords, crossbows, etc. 

Merrit working on a puzzle-picture of a young Henry VIII at the
Royal Armory museum.

An armoured mask for Henry VIII, used only for parades and
tournaments, not for battle. It's called the Horned Helmet, and was
a gift from Maximilian.

At left, one of Henry VIII's suits of armor. Mike and Merrit are still working
on that puzzle!

Outside the Royal Armory museum, we bought tickets for a stunt horse riding
show. The horses and riders just starred in the movie Warhorse, directed by
Steven Spielberg, which just wrapped filming. What a great show! Ollie, in
particular, loved it!

The riders and horses played out different eras of the horse's history in Great
Britain--from the Romans to the Mongols to Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show
to the messenger horses of World War I. 

We ambled along to a restaurant that had been recommended by a co-worker
of Mikes: The Restaurant Bar and Grill. Redundant?

Oh my. Filet mignon with bearnaise sauce. Grilled portobello mushrooms
and tomatoes. Bok choy with chili and ginger.

The boys split an item off the kids' menu: An order of risotto with leeks and
haddock topped with a poached egg. Gotta love the kids menu here. No chicken fingers!

On the afternoon of Easter Sunday, we went to Roundhay Park, just
outside of Leeds. Wow! What a gorgeous place. It was stunning.

Walking around one of the two lakes.

We found the castle.

My little princes.

What kind of ducks/birds are these?
We also saw a swan's nest, but didn't get a great shot of it.

What a ride!

Mike called this ride "The Copyright Infringement Express." Let's see,
we have characters from Madagascar, Thomas the Tank Engine, the Cheshire
Cat from Alice in Wonderland, Buzz Lightyear, and the Disney Princesses.
All on one train. Awesome.

We walked out of the park and stumbled upon a great restaurant and inn called
The Roundhay Fox. 

Outdoor seating on a drop-dead gorgeous, not-too-hot day. Perfect.
Look at the cute watering can with napkins and cutlery on the table.

For you foodies: Click on the pic to see the menu up close.

Who says English food is bland, overcooked, and boring?

I know, I know...I am ridiculous. I always take pictures of menus! Sad.

Bellies full, the boys wait for our taxi to come pick us up.

Love this necklace. Keep calm...and have girls' night!

Last morning in Leeds, and Ollie has a proper English
breakfast: beans on toast with eggs. The only
thing missing is rashers and grilled tomatoes.

Waiting for the 10:07 train from Leeds to Newcastle.

Merrit watching the English countryside go by.

"Thanks for a great weekend in Leeds, honey."

Ollie liked to watch other trains pass us by. We also saw cows, horses,
sheep, birds, rabbits, and lots and lots of...

FLOWERS!