UK: Day 12

This morning we all lay in a bit, probably due to the food-induced coma we all fell asleep in last night! So after a slow and lazy morning, we made our way to The Ark Pet Farm. Tarrin had originally wanted us to visit a different farm, but since it's closed over the holiday season, we tried this other one out, and we were not disappointed!

Although it's pretty hidden from the road, once you enter you find it's pretty big, with a lot of activities on offer, and animals to pet. They even have a Creepy Crawly Loft with snakes and spiders! Needless to say, we stuck to the farm animal variety.

The cow and its calf - only a few weeks old

Zac feeding the donkey

Getting acquainted with the sheep and her lambs

Getting Andel to feed the animals

Sitting in front of the manger scene - apt, isn't it?

Isla was a little apprehensive at first...

The daddies feeding the alpacas

Zac's favourite was the goats

Isla getting into the swing of things

Outside on the trail en route to the lake

Zac checking out the geese

Isla loves the ducks and readily says "quack, quack"

In the play area driving a pick up truck

Isla gets a turn too

Zac gets to hold a week-old chick

Isla finally gets her chance too

Today was so much fun. Zac and Isla loved it, and despite the biting cold, even the adults had a good time. Plus, is there anything better than ending the day by coming home to left over Christmas lunch? Probably not!

UK: Day 7

After yesterday, Tarrin was determined that we leave the house today, despite the storm weather warnings. Karl was on leave as well so we left, sak en pak, for a day of indoor activities.

Wrapped up and ready for the storm (which never came)

We started off by visiting Ulster Museum. It's quite an extensive museum, in terms of topics covered etc. but as Tarrin pointed out, it is a little clinical. So we explored as much as we could before the kids were too hungry to continue and we had to go back down to the canteen for them to eat.

Zac and Isla at the Ulster Museum

Tarrin's babies

Listening in on an Irish and Scottish Gaelic conversation

At the Nature Centre learning about the animals

After that, we went to a local nursery that sets up a Christmas exhibition of sorts. It was awesome - all Christmas lights and music, and stalls of little decorations and gifts. The kids went mad and we had to pull them away so that we could grab something to eat.

One of the little exhibition windows

Thankful that we brought the pram!

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!

The Santa Christmas Band

As it was still relatively early in the afternoon when we were done at Hillside, we decided to make a final stop, at one of my favourite UK places - IKEA! Here, Tarrin and I went mad, and poor Karl and Andel were on childcare supervision duty, reluctantly following us around the massive warehouse.

Zac and Isla camping out on the top bunk

Hitching a ride in the trolley with uncle Karl

Now we're ready for dinner, and then off to bed. Tarrin and Karl are both at work tomorrow, so we may well be exploring the city on our own. Watch this space!

UK: Day 6

Today we did absolutely nothing. Because we could. Because we wanted to. And we hardly coped.

Isn't it crazy how we work ourselves to a stand-still so that we can take leave that we think we need to fill with minute-to-minute activities? Today even the children were well behaved and relaxed. In fact, they were so quiet and chilled, at one point we thought they were ill (typical, isn't it?).

So, we spent the day in pyjamas, watching series and napping with our kids. And while we were at it, discovered a few new things they can do. For example:

Zac has this new cheeky sense of humour. He smiles so sweetly when he's been caught out doing something naughty, and he has recently taken to blaming Button for the things he does (a sign of things to come, I imagine).

And today Isla started the cutest new thing: when someone asks her a question, she either says yes by nodding her head, or no by shaking her head. We spent hours laughing at and with her as we all asked her endless questions all day!

Reading stories with Daddy

So, although it was a seemingly non-eventful day by tourist standards, it was a welcome and wonderful day with each other. And now we're ready to head out tomorrow!

UK: Day 3, Day 4 & Day 5

We've just arrived home from a wonderfully relaxing weekend in the Irish countryside with Karl's parents. We left late on Saturday morning with a packed lunch and some scheduled stops along the hour-and-a-half long trip to the Glens.

Our first stop was at Antrim Lough Shore (or "Ducks Paradise" as Andel likes to refer to it) to feed the ducks and geese. Unfortunately, Zac had already fallen asleep and so missed the entire thing, but it was pretty funny for Tarrin and I to watch from the car: what with Karl and Andel trying to avoid being attacked by the birds!

Just before the geese started to attack!

Tarrin and Karl took us on a guided tour of the Glens as we drove through en route to his parents, and when we got there we were welcomed with a warm fire and some tea - which, apart from a short walk to the river, is where we stayed until we went to friends of the Grahams for dinner.

The beautiful Glens

Sheep grazing across the way from Karl's parents' place

Taking a walk to the river

Zac loved being able to splash in the puddles in his wellies

The next morning, despite warnings of cold weather, we bravely set out for the Giants' Causeway. It was a beautiful drive along the coast where in better weather you can see all the way to Scotland. By the time we got there it was pouring with rain and very windy, so Karl and Tarrin stayed indoors with the kids while Andel and I did the tourist thing and took the guided tour.

Walking down to the Giants' Causeway

Tarrin on babysitting duty

Weathering the freezing wind

Zac and Isla running riot in the Visitors' Centre

After a long day in the cold, we decided against going out for dinner, and instead ordered in some pizza from Karl's uncle's restaurant before having an early night. And this morning, we were rewarded with beautiful snow!

Playtime with Karl's Mom in front of the fire

Tarrin roasting again

We took a slow ride home today, stopping at Glenariff Forest Park to see the waterfalls, and trying to take in as much of the snowy white surroundings as possible.

Zac wanting to take a dip?

Andel and Zac at the waterfalls

The village of Cargan covered in snow

Now, with bellies full of roti and curry, and children already dozing off, I reckon we're heading for another early night in. Not that I'm complaining, at all!