The Red X Month - Week 1: Flight, Brentford, Croughton and Driving to Wales May 1-8

A "Red X Month" is a month of no work and just family time. It is a concept I learned about from a finance podcast I listen to. Melissa and I have talked about spending a month slow traveling in the UK with the kids, since before we had kids! May 2023 is our first Red X month. I'm sure a little work will creep in (a text or email here or there), but it will be a month of family first and work 7 time zones away!
5/1 - May had a pretty nice beginning. We went to breakfast together and ate entirely too much. Then we went to the Donovan park playground and down to Gore Creek in Vail, CO to play.

After a few more hours in the car and a couple of hours in the Denver airport, we were in the plane. Icelandair was the most kid friendly airline ever. On both flights (Denver-Keflavik and Keflavik-London), as soon as we were in the air they received boxed meals, stuffed animals and activities (sticker books or card games). The twins tried to sleep, but couldn't. Finn had 2 seats to stretch out, but said "it's too loud." Melissa and I didn't even try to sleep.

5/2 - We landed about noon. It took 45 minutes to get the car sorted in the Heathrow carpark. We used Turo, saving $2000 over the 3 weeks, which was nice. It was a contactless check-in: selfies with ID and car number plate to remote unlock the car. Then fighting with kid's seats, luggage and a tiny English car. It is a 7 seater, but only if all 7 are under 10 years old. We finally got all the seats and luggage sorted, loaded in, and it wouldn't start! The remote unlock feature had relocked because it took us so long to put the keys in the ignition. So we contacted the owner, had to switch my Turo phone number to the international number and were finally on the way. On the 20 minute drive to the Brentford hotel all 3 kids fell asleep. It was waking the dead to get them into the hotel. Lily ended up giggly, Hannah kept wandering off randomly in the carpark while we were unloading the bags, and Finn burst into tears in the lobby during check-in.

After getting our two rooms, we slept nearly 5 hours. Then went across the street for pizza about 8 PM. Back to the hotel for baths and bed. Auntie Monica left a bag for us at the hotel. It was treats, paper and colored pencils, etc. 1 week in, that bag has been a godsend multiple times already.

5/3 - Wednesday we slept late then went to breakfast in the hotel. We then drove to the Brent Lodge (Bunny) Park to play. Nana played here as a girl. The kids had fun in the hedge maze, playground and ziplines.

Then off to meet Auntie Mon and her lodger Jon. We had a wonderful 3 hour lunch and chat. The kids went out in the garden a number of times. Monica also had a bag for us from Auntie Glynis. Great books and maps and picnic supplies. After that we drove to Sarah and Iain's in Croughton. I can summarize the time at Sarah's as: wonderful!

5/4 - We visited Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. The kids had some fun and some meltdowns.

Lily collected some petals as she wandered.

They had a butterfly house and this blue butterfly loved Finn's jogging pants.

Lily got one on her finger for a second.

They even watched a worker taking "fresh" butterflies out of the cocoon box. Their wings were still a little damp and needed to dry while spread on a leaf.

There was a big hedge maze on the grounds. It ended with a circular spelling out of the estate name. If you squint you can see Finn, Lilian, Hannah and Melissa standing in front of their initials in Blenheim (B for Finn Bayless)

Lots of these hiding trees on the grounds as well.

After the palace we went to a pub for the first time, Black Horse, were we enjoy tAcos, chips, sandwiches and Capri Suns (weird).

We came home to Croughton early enough for a tour with Sarah. Ate dinner around 8, got the kids to bed about 11, and adults after midnight.

5/5- Friday we started with a visit to the Rollright Stones. Everyone is trying to touch 2 stones to "feel their power," it didn't work.

After walking from the circle to the Whispering Knights Lilian was disappointed to find, "they're just some more rocks." Luckily a local land owner opened a portion of his forest to walkers. We wandered through a wooded labyrinth, searched for fungi and bugs and explored these strangely woven tree branch sculptures. The kids loved it. They were given "Find it" books in Aunt Monica's bag and are having a blast locating all sorts of challenges.

After the stones we headed toward Chedworth Roman Villa. We found a sweets shop on the way!

Stopped in at Diddly Squat Farm Shop, Andy's been watching the program on Amazon and enjoys it. But not enough to queue for an hour to go in. Just a photo the back in the car with muddy shoes.

Chedworth was really interesting. Beautiful ancient mosaic tiles, bathes, walls, etc.

The kids all picked up an audio tour and enjoyed listening to the stories. The found some snails in one location and the twins swore that their stories talked about ancient snails as well.

And ancient Roman hopscotch!. I don't think the kids have ever played it before and they didn't bother learning the Roman numerals, but had fun hopping.

That night we went back to Sarah's to snuggle the dogs, Bruin and Barley. What magical beasts! These dogs put up with so much snuggling and love. The kids took to them so well, because they're both so calm. Another night up too late, talking away.

5/6 - Saturday morning, 10:30 AM, Finn making homemade ice cream with Sarah. The girls were still in bed, due to the 11 PM bedtimes. 1 can of condensed milk, 300 ml double cream, beat together till fluffy. Mix in something (they made 1 batch salted caramel and 1 mango/passion fruit with a puree) and freeze all day. This also happens to be almost the exact moment King Charles III was being crowned.

While King Charles was celebrating, we went to fight the rain in Bourton-on-the-water, the Cotswolds. Sarah drove and it was fun to be a passenger looking out at all the amazing sights.

After wandering in the rain we stopped for a pasty and hot chocolate.

Then to the Burford Garden Center to play in their playground and walk through the poshest "Home Depot" on earth.

Back to Croughton for dinner, a fast forward through the coronation, and another late night chatting. Sarah and Iain might be some of the most entertaining conversationalists we know, every night was fun.

5/7 - Sunday and church in Banbury. It was a small ward, but very friendly. The kids all braved a new primary and ended up enjoying their teachers and classes.

Back to Croughton for a sunny afternoon in the garden with Iain. He brought out the small tractor for the twins to drive. The grass was so wet the needed me on board to get enough traction to get back up the hill.

That afternoon while waiting for cousin Gill and her husband Brian to arrive we visited the sheep under a beautiful blue sky.

Sarah took us along the creek to hunt badger dens.

Back to Sarah's garden for digging. Finn spent over an hour turning over her vegetable garden.

And his clothes and fingernails proved it.

Finn bought a souvenir from the Cotswolds... a dino puzzle. We finished it while Brian and Iain were running the grill for dinner.

Luckily the kids burgers were done first. They ate about 6 and the rest of us about 9! The coals burned out and the grill was trouble to heat back up. Sarah took this photo after midnight. The ladies spent the night talking and I watched the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix while Brian and Iain took turns alternating between falling asleep and making fun of the other for falling asleep. It was a great night. We talked about everything from family and travel to gun violence and food.

5/8 - Monday, another slow morning and 11:22 AM we were packed on on the road to Wales. Sarah and Iain were just amazing. We had fun, the kids were spoilt by Sarah and none of us wanted to leave.