Happy 3rd Birthday Jude!!

I can hardly believe Jude is actually 3. It seems like he's been three for ages now and it's been hard to remember that he is still 2. His language has just exploded in the last 6 months and he's saying things and I swear James and John didn't say/ask until they were much older. I guess this comes from being the third child with two much older brothers. Potty training is going as well as can be expected. Some days are great, others not so great. He's still not pooping in the potty which is becoming frustrating. He's done it a handful of times but he's not consistent and I can never tell when he's going to go. He is very ready for school and thanks to CBeebies (Like PBS and Disney Junior) is learning his numbers and letters. He's already mastered colors and is pretty close to mastering shapes.

As I said in my previous post, we spent most of Jude's actual birthday in Oxford but when we got home, we spent some time celebrating. We ate some brownies I had made the day before and then opened presents. Jude received the plane from the movie Cars 2, his own Hot Wheels monster truck (he loves the one James has) and his very own three wheeled scooter. All the little British kids here seem to have scooters and he was always pointing to them while we were out shopping. He even asked us to look for them in the Argos catalog. Jude was super excited and wanted me to put it together right away. He's been zooming around the house and patio ever since.

Jude is such a great little boy and definitely my little buddy. He's always trying to help me no matter what I'm doing. He's very sweet to Jonah for the most part and loves to give him hugs and kisses. They definitely need to work on the sharing but they play well together most of the time. Jonah and I will definitely miss him when he goes to school next year but I know he'll have fun and will enjoy making new friends.

First Road Trip, Destination: York

We took our first road trip over the first weekend of May. The destination - York. The first Monday in May is a bank holiday so the boys were off school and Brian was off work. We decided to take advantage of the long weekend to take a trip up to York. We had planned to leave Friday straight from school but had to make a stop back at home and then decided to pick up McDonald's for dinner on our way out. It was about a 4.5 hour drive up to our little holiday cottage so we arrived in the dark. We got the car unloaded and let the boys burn off some energy before putting them down for the night.

The next morning we got up, ate breakfast and then headed into York. We parked just outside the old city walls and then walked into town. We were a bit early so we stopped at the York Minster and took a quick walk around the inside of the beautiful church. Then we made our way to the JORVIK Viking museum. I wasn't sure what to expect and was pleasantly surprised when we took a cool ride through a viking village. We learned all about the different things the vikings made and how they lived during those times. Then after the ride was over, we walked through a small traditional museum before exiting back onto the main road. After that, we walked back over to the Shambles (an old medieval street where all the buildings are leading in) to do some shopping. We also went to Clifford's Tower which is the last remaining park of York Castle. James, John and Jude went up the stairs and walked around the very top of the tower while Jonah and I walked around the courtyard. After that, we got some lunch and headed to the DIG. The boys had an absolute blast there. They learned all about archaeology and even got to play in the dig pits they had set up. They each got their own trowel and got to uncover sections of ancient walls, bones, pottery, etc. Then after that, they got to spend some time sorting out artifacts and learning about the ancient civilizations that were in the area. After a very busy day, we headed back to the cottage for a late nap and then dinner in the nearby village.

Sunday morning was far more laid back. We got up, dressed and fed but not in any great hurry. It being Sunday, things open later in the morning. We decided to drive up north through the Yorkshire Moors and to the seaside town of Whitby. It was still quite chilly but we were blessed with lots of sunshine. We walked around the port and down to the beach. The boys had a great time running in the sand but we not happy when we wouldn't let them near the water. We kept trying to explain that the water was freezing and that they didn't want to get in. Next we had some lunch (hot dogs for the boys and fish and chips for Brian and I) and did a bit of window shopping. After that, we loaded back up in the car and drove out to the ruins of the Whitby Abbey. It's up on the top of this great hill with loads of grasslands around. The boys had an ABSOLUTE blast rolling down the grassy hills and running around like crazy. Brian and I took turns watching the boys and walking around the Abbey. After the boys burned off a bunch of energy, we loaded back in the car and drove down to Scarborough. We attempted to see the castle but the Sat Nav and road signs took us down to the water instead of up to the castle. It was getting late in the afternoon so we gave up and decided to head back to the cottage. We didn't really feel like eating out again so we hit the local Tesco (grocery store) and picked up some items for dinner that night.

Monday morning it was time to head home. We got all packed up and cleaned up the cottage before heading out. With the sun coming up so early, we were actually on the road pretty early and made it home in time for lunch. It was a really nice get away from it all and see a whole new area of this great island.

Oxford and Christ Church Collage

Our Saturday was filled with birthday parties so we had to wait until Sunday to hit the road and venture out again. It also happened to be Jude's birthday. Thankfully he's three and willing to spend his birthday exploring instead of insisting on a party, presents and cake. We did do all of those things (minus the party) after getting home and in pajamas.

Being Sunday, most places open later than normal and only stay open for a few hours. We had a quick visit at home from Brian's co-worker, Cam, and his wife Jackie before grabbing lunch at the Carvery. Then we hit the road again, with Jackie along for the ride (Cam had to work and Jackie was eager to get out and about). The drive up wasn't too bad, maybe an hour or so. Finding parking in a new city is tough, even with a Sat Nav. Garages are randomly closed or the directions provided don't actually get you to the garage entrance.

Once we got the car parked, we were off to find the university and more specifically Christ Church Collage. This is were several scenes from the first Harry Potter movie were filmed as well as inspiration for the Great Hall at Hogwarts. Walking around the collage, I definitely felt as though we were in certain parts of Hogwarts and couldn't wait to get home to watch the movie again hoping to identity some of the places we had been that day.

After leaving the collage, we hopped on a bus tour of Oxford which took us all around the town and included several interesting facts about the history of the university. One interesting thing I learned was that Oxford is made up of several collages and that you have to apply not only to the university but also a specific collage. I thought the collages were organized by field of study as they are at home but the collage is actually like a dorm. It's the place a student lives while attending the university.

Once we finished the bus tour, it was getting close to dinner time so we found one of the few places the boys are guaranteed to eat - Pizza Hut. They actually have decent priced kids meals which include unlimited salad bar (which ironically has tortilla chips), an entree (pizza or pasta) and a drink. Then for a small charge, they can get a dessert. The boys really enjoy it and we can't complain. They have good pizza. Once we finished eating, we did a small bit of shopping and then headed back to the car for the drive home.

All in all, it was a very good outing!