Eben haircut

Merida

Off to Mexico for three weeks!! Can't remember ever having a holiday that long. Everyone - super excited, and the kids couldn't care less about Mexico but have been talking about the plane journey for weeks.

Not sure about the budget choice to do a stopover in Fort Lauderdale but we finally get to cancun, rent a car and drive three hours to Merida so about a twelve hour trip door to door. Al and I had both been here when when we were 19/21 and the city wasn't actually that different. Very beautiful, very friendly, not at all on the tourist route, but scorching hot. What made it was our hotel which was awesome. Kids essentially just wanted to be in the pool and in the shower.

But we managed to drag them out for some activities - ruins at uxmal (where we found a colorful ailing bird to stroke), animaya (animal park on a boat..), the biciruta, walks around the plaza and some really good meals to the dulcet sounds of despicable me 2.

On weds morning we headed out for tulum which was about a three hour drive from Merida. We went via Valladolid - cute little colonial town where we found a place to watch the first 30 mins of holland play the semi final. Then off to some cenotes near Valladolid which were amazing. Eben was terrified but ruby was fearless and totally fine swimming around. The caves were just incredible, filled with bats but all good. 

Ruby's 6th birthday

Chocolate mania even for America 

Goodbye Columbia grammar

Easter

Egg hunt in Central Park. Eben was adopted by new friend Kia. This kid was amazing with him.

Mopping up

Getting eben's hair cut is heartbreaking but one too many comments from rude old New York women demanding to know whether we are religious or have just neglected to cut his hair pushed me over the edge. 

In spike's capable hands luckily

Boston

Nothing reminds me of Boston and sylvan and Florence like this

WIN

My team winning PR Weeks infamous internal comms of the year award. Dancing in the bright lights of a hotel foyer has never been so fun

Urban chix

February March

Museum of Maths with ruby's class. Ruby and Sophia on the square bike! 

Although it's been criminally cold for this time of year theres been some gorgeous runs around the half frozen reservoir

Ruby's latest chess tournament. Really wish it wasn't so awkward to get my camera out as parents tutored their over anxious crying 5 year olds when they lost games . This was an all girls tournament at spence. Ruby and her two friends won the kindergarten team prize

Me and ruby today at effys cafe round the corner

Behold

Vegan cookie number 2 - the more advanced double choc chip. They were good

Grand Master

Ruby participated in her first chess tournament yesterday. She was the only girl and all the boys are extremely serious - some have private tutors. she came 9th of 9 and even though my heart was breaking as she lost game after game she smiled the whole way through and genuinely loved it. So proud of her.

And she got a trophy anyway, everyone gets a trophy. G-d bless America. 

Happy as Larry

I (which for this post is in fact Al) went on a pretty unique field trip with Ruby’s class yesterday. I volunteered because it was the right thing to do. Oh and because it was a trip to the Freedom Tower/Ground Zero complex where i'd never been. It started off as a standard trip on one of those yellow school buses (they're actually incredibly loud and uncomfortable in case you're wondering). It quickly became apparent though that this wasn't the regular tour. Turns out Ruby's classmate Julian is the grandson of Larry Silverstein who owns the site. So it was all VIP. Freedom Tower itself is still under construction so we couldn't go up, but we had a personalized tour led by the head of PR for Silverstein Properties around Word Trade Center 4 and 7 as well as the showcase suite for Corporate tenants. We got to build own own towers, wear hard hats, chat to the chief engineer and eat our packed lunch 1000 feet up on an empty floor. We were a little overexcited. I mean the kids were. (They had a professional photographer follow us around which explains why they are so good.)

Obama

There's no selfie with the man but I was one of an audience of about 200 people he spoke to during the annual Wall Street journal CEO conference. 

This is an event which brings together about 150 CEOs of the top companies in the world. To be allowed in, your company has to produce over 2 billion in revenues. 

The speakers this year were totally amazing. Gerry (editor in chief) opened the event followed by a brief intro by Rupert. Then Chris Christie (governor of New Jersey, likely republican presidential nominee 2016) was interviewed on stage followed by General Dempsey who is the chairman for the joint chiefs of staff. He is basically highest ranking member of the military and is the guy you see in films / in uniform on the Oval Office sofa advising the president. The content of these interviews was just amazing. 

The next day we had the president of the world bank, jacob lew - secretary of the treasury, Larry summers, penny pritzker (secretary of commerce) and then Obama. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life to hear these people being challenged by our journalists. All while I mingled with CEOs. (Met CEO of McKinsey, Martin sorrel and sat with Jeff bewkes for most of the afternoon who is lovely. He is te CEO of time Warner which owns warner brothers time inc amongst other things). Wow wow wow. Really had to stop mysel from crying when the announcer said - ladies and gentlemen, the president of the United States. Then everyone stood and clapped. Luckily no tears came out but it was close! The secret service stuff was also fascinating. 

My team managed over 100 press on site. Such an amazing experience these people are insanely clever, such a privilege to be there and amazing to see the power of our brand and journalists. 

Mustang Sally

Today's rental car - ford mustang convertible. Bloody freezing so no way the hood's going down, and I'm not gonna say its comfy squashed up against the glove compartment with two kids and car seats in the back. But makes al happy. Off to pick apples!