Not having seen Kathy for six weeks, and not having seen the Boys for 3 months, we finally got together in London for the

Best Spring Vacation Ever!

I had been working in London since November of 1997.  Kathy & the Boys had stayed behind as we were unsure if it would be too disruptive to the Boys education to move them all to the UK for the 2 year ex-Pat assignment I was doing for Motorola.  In hindsight, a mistake, the boys would've flourished in the UK.

I had not see the Boys since my visit home the prior Christmas, though Kathy & I had met great friends Bob & Gail in Phoenix for a week in February.  

So Kathy hustled the boys over from Chicago -  jetting to London's Heathrow airport for the Boys Spring Break in late March.   This was no easy undertaking on Kathy's part as the 4 boys ages ranged from 5-11!  I was overjoyed to see them all!

We packed a ton of fun into the week that they were there.   We spent lots of time in London visiting "The Tower", Parliament Square, Covent Garden and the like.  In Windsor we spent a day at Lego Land - an amusement park not far from where I lived in Ascot.  Kathy & the Boys met my new friends, Ken & Joan Crook and Joan fell in love with the Boys - especially Bradley.  

Ben had a school project that he brought to the UK.  His classroom had a stuffed Bear named "Cuddles" whom classmates would take with them on vacation to get photographs from around the country.   Well, Ben blew that away as he we took photos all through London & Windsor, making Cuddles one Globe Trotting Bear! 

At LegoLand, the boys visited the "Panning For Gold" attraction where you were issued a Pan and had to sift through some pretty filthy water in search of "Gold Nuggets".  Picture right is the younger boys efforts.

Impatient Brett, after not finding any Gold Nuggets decides a better way to find them is to forget about the Pan and just plunge your face into the water and spot 'em with your open eyes. Kathy about had a stroke when she saw Stonewall's head under the waterline and yanked him out of that swamp right quick!

While in London we went to Covent Garden where the boys loved the Street Performers and Kathy liked the tepid Lagers at Punch 'n Judy's.  We had a caricature of the boys done by a street artist, which can be seen upper right.

We visited Madamme Tussaud's Wax Museum - including the Chamber of Horrors - where someone scared the Hell out of Brett by jumping out of the shadows saying "Boo!"   We took a picture with Arnold Schwarznegger as you can see up top.

We capped off London with a visit to the Stones Sticky Fingers Bistro where the Boys had some good food and danced with Kathy.  Check out the video - it's pretty cute.   

Alas, the week flew by and in a flash it was time for them to go back home.  Sad for me  - but looking forward to their return for the Summer! 

Loved This Spring Break!