The Taylors in Europe

We're off on another adventure tomorrow! Originally, Mom and I had planned on leaving the kids with my friend Amy for 1 or 2 nights and heading just over the Polish border to go pottery shopping. Then we got a bad case of "it's a shame to be so close and not see . . . " Before we knew it, we had decided to take the kids, stretch the trip out by a few days, and make a pilgrimmage to my great-grandmother's ancestral village of Nowy Sacz. We'll come home by way of Slovakia and Austria.

Annabelle was underwhelmed by the change in plans, and I decided that I was prepared to resort to bribery to make this trip happen. What, I asked her, could I offer that would make this trip palatable for her? I was thinking of a material bribe--a toy perhaps, maybe some cash. Her answer after a long moment of thought, which I figured she was using to figure out the maximum amount she could extort from me: "I want you to promise that we can stop in Slovakia, and I can get out of the car and breathe Slovakian air." Um, sure, sweetie, I think I can manage that. Heck, I'll even get you some Slovakian water to drink if you're extra good.

[Mike just read that over my shoulder and is now insisting, "I don't wanna go! Bribe me, bribe me!!!!" Fat chance, dude. You're already on record as looking forward to the trip.]