Kyiv Stay-cation & another typically random day

It has been a few weeks since I've posted - during that gap I can't claim a cohesive theme has emerged.....the random highlights: 


"Asses Up"
We were in town during the kids' spring break week 2 weeks back - with loads of snow still on the ground we focused on indoor entertainment - e.g. the local water park.  The boys spent a lot of time in the water football pitch.....

My favorite part was the water slide attendant (after hearing us speaking English) instructing Quincy & I "asses up"!


Train Rides like old times 
We've been wanting to take a train journey after both nostalgically talking about trips across Europe (me) & Russia (Logan) full of card games, bread, cheese & beer dinners some 20 years ago.  We took a 5-hour express train to Lviv (west side of Ukraine) for a weekend - the card games & beer took us both back.....

....sadly, I fear our grandkids will be nostalgic about iPads on trains

Terrorizing Tourists
Lviv was a quant little town - small enough to get around on foot - and with a friendly Western European feel to it.  

The kids wildly weaving in & out of the many pedestrians on the main square didn't appear to bother anyone - and was a definite highlight

(spot the 3 wild riders?)

Art, trips, spa services & the M&M dude
Last weekend, our school had a benefit gala.  I organized the auction portion - can you tell?

(Among other things, we 'won' a trip to a wine chateau in Moldova!  Auction winning could be considered a 'core competency' for Logan and I)

A day in Kyiv: random delights
Other than that, we've just been doing regular stuff around town.  That said, the cheap thrills are plentiful.  Today's points of interest....

A smoldering garbage can no one gives a second glance

Scrappy hauling  & a Bentley on the same 5 minute drive.... 

And yet another random cause for a traffic jam on our street.....

(a crane loading a rusty old boat - why not?!  I swear, we ARE on a residential street!)

Lord knows what in our yard....

(supposedly it is fertilizer - but the gardener was wearing a mask while applying it - safety measures are NOT the norm here - and advised we keep the kids off the grass for a few days.  Must be some toxic sh@*)

A Chicago like festival near our house - and of all things - to celebrate Earth Day....

(food vendors, a band stand, hand made crafts for sale - honestly, I was starting to wonder where I was)

The 'play structures' in a nearby park...

And an 'assertive' sign on the neighboring house to one of our friends...

(ah, yes, we ARE in Kiev!)

So here's to stay-cations & finding the entertaining in the neighborhood