Here goes nothing!

I mentioned last week that recently Gracie's mood and behavior have improved considerably.  

Tuesday I got brave and ordered us some treats to enjoy outside at a coffee shop.  I did bribe the kids with baked goods but we had a good 20 minutes of peace before moving along.

I had a mocha latte and tried a traditional fruit scone with clotted cream and jam.

Clotted cream sounds pretty gross but it was more like a sticky butter than a cream.  

I don't know why it is served with scones because I found it difficult to spread on a crumbly pastry,

Today I am taking the kids in to London on the train by myself for the first time.  With a preschooler who usually fights holding my hand, this should be interesting.  Usually I let her hold a big kids' hand, but in London it's either "hold MY hand" or "go over my shoulder like a (screaming, wiggling) sack of potatoes."  

The London Transport Museum is kid-friendly and fun, with beautifully restored old trains and double decker buses woven in to a history of the city's technology.  We went there last September when we visited with the big kids, and our admission got us passes for the entire year.

Letting Gracie have a good nap, taking the train in for a free museum, and dinner with JD and our friend Sarah, sounded like a good first excursion with Gracie*. 

I will let you know how it goes-- wish me luck!

* I say "Gracie because I know the big kids will have fun and be cooperative.