Nora Roberts's Travelogue of Ireland:
Dromoland—June 22, 2007
Time for a lazier day. I walk down to workout in pretty sunshine. Stacie joins me a few minutes later. Pretty nice gym here so we do our bit. And walk back in pouring rain. We all have a nice breakfast downstairs, with the kids on either side of me. I mention that means I have a backhand handy for both of them, if necessary. LOL. Logan is my boy today, it seems. We walk out to the buffet together while we wait for his French Toast, and we get some fruit, Nana's scone. Well, now Logan wants a scone, too. Okay. He eats an entire scone, two helpings of fruit, and he and Kayla `steal' bacon off my plate.
I want a swim next, so BW and I take the kids down. The pool here is warm as bath water. My favorite kind. Logan is still refusing to do more than sit on the top step, so while Kayla and Grandda splash around, the boy and I toss a ball at each other. And I tempt him to come down another step. We toss little foam toys at each other, and he comes down another step on his own. Then another. He goes TA DA! as he stands on his tiptoes up to his chin. The deepest he's been in. Kayla's jumping off BW's hands, and takes a huge leap to go all the way under. Another first, and she comes up laughing.
We have a LONG stint in the pool, and another in the whirlpool where the jets beat the hell out of you. Ahhhh.
The sun's out again when we walk up and find Kat and Jason back from their bike ride. We hunt down Dan who opts to stay back, give the kids a little lunch and a nap while the rest of us head into Ennis to shop.
It rains. The sun shines. It rains again.
We stop in a little jewelry store where I score a couple pairs of earrings. Kat's looking at a gorgeous pair, and the owner's showing her a fabulous tanzanite and opal necklace. She wants both bad—I can see it on her face. It's our Kat's birthday, and I'm tempted to buy them for her, but I've already done the birthday thing, and have something else to give her tonight. When she decides to buy them, Jason steps up, and buys them for her. That's my boy! He wanted to make sure she really wanted them first, and her face just glows when he buys them.
We slip into a kids' clothes store, and Nana buys Kayla an outfit for our fancy dinner tonight. Nothing there for the boy, but I find a candy store that has little candies inside toys. A helicopter for Logan, a Dora key-chain for Kayla—bribes to put on hold for tomorrow, as I also score a Spider-man action figure with Sandman and a Princess sticker book for today's prizes.
We poke around until it's time to come home.
Prizes are a HUGE hit, as expected. *g*
We've arranged to have a private dining room tonight, and get ourselves gussied up. Kayla even allows me to do her hair—usually a bitter battle. We have a lovely meal, wine, champagne. I have the something old for Kat, for the wedding. A pair of diamond earrings I've had a long time that I think will look lovely on her and go well with her wedding dress. The kids have pretty red roses for her. She's wearing her new necklace and earrings.
At the end of the meal, they bring in a cake with candles.
When we walk upstairs after ten, the sky's still light. Straight to bed. Tomorrow is a long one.
Nora
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