London!

This past weekend we escaped the escalating tension here in Ukraine and jetted off to London to celebrate Gio's 5th birthday.  The trip started off badly with a 2 hour delay on the runway before take-off.  Maria chose to scream for most of those two hours, which certainly endeared her to the passengers and crew alike.  Both of us were in tears by the time we took off and I was certain the rest of the weekend would be a disaster.  I could not have been more wrong.

Plotting her screaming fest the evening before departure.  

Our first evening we spent strolling and riding around on double decker busses.  Gio adores those.  I think we could have just put him on one and left him there all weekend and he would have been happy.  With a two hour time difference Maria's usual 6AM wakeup became 4AM.  That was fun.  She and Paolo had some early morning bonding time.  

Friday was Gio's actual 5th birthday.  He was disappointed upon wakeup: "I don't FEEL any taller."  A ride on the Underground and a morning with the dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum restored his good mood.  

Gio's favorite part of the museum was this animatronic T-Rex.  We returned to this part of the exhibit no less than 10 times.  It was a long morning.  

Finally dino-ed out, we hit a Fish-N-Chips joint. When in London....  

This being Gio, he insisted on a hamburger but was tentatively willing to at least try the fish....

....eventually embracing both culinary delights.

I found it fascinating that restaurants in London must display their food hygiene rating on their front doors.  Here was a our fish-n-chips place.  Next door was an Indian restaurant with a rating of a 2.  Ouch.  And nope, no customers in there. 

Working on his plumber look. 

After lunch we hit the giant toy store Hamleys.  Gio got a birthday serenade and managed to talk his gullible parents into five gifts rather than the one we told him he could pick out when we entered.  Well done, Gio.

Post toy store we hit an amusement park.  This was not the London Eye but tall enough for Gio who loved the ride.  Paolo looked a bit green by the end but Maria and I handled it just fine.  

Gio and Paolo allowed me to do very very little shopping on this trip.  I did convince them to let me go to Molton Brown for some of my favorite soap and lotion.  Gio stayed outside to admire the window display (snow falling between the glass- very cool!)

Once home we celebrated with cake and prosecco.  

Not quite believing he was getting his own glass (very watered down, those of you about to call child services)

Swigging it down before we change our minds...

Paolo attempted to do some work.  

Ah, the infamous World Bank work-life "balance".

Saturday morning we headed to the zoo.  

But first a romp at Regent's Park.

The zoo was great- ridiculously expensive, but still a lot of fun. 

Saturday afternoon Paolo and Maria headed off on a tour of Paolo's old stomping grounds (London School of Economics) while Gio and I hit the theatre district for a matinee of Lion King. Best part for Gio?  The slushee!

Our seats were fabulous! 

Gio eventually did get the hang of the binoculars.  I spent a lot of the show reminding Gio to whisper, a skill he has not QUITE mastered.  His enthusiasm boiled over sometimes.  Fortunately the theatre was full of children and our seat-mates were very tolerant.  

Sunday morning we headed to Gatwick on the train.  Gio sat next to this very drunk fellow and the two of them had a nearly incomprehensible conversation jumping from such topics as the sun to rock music to beer. The man eventually declared Gio the "loudest bloke I have ever known."  Paolo and I were not shocked.  

I absolutely loved London- the parks, the people, the food, the myriad of things to do.  I am ready to move tomorrow.  Wondering if there is a World Bank office there.....