Greetings!
First full day on board-sun is shining, children are in the “get to know you” hour in the children’s zone, Thomas and I are in the bar at the bow with the real drinkers-except they will never accept us as one of their own, because we have tea.

New York was mind bending wonderful as usual…we stayed a really long time at the Natural History museum-Neanderthals, pygmies, space center, bears, the list goes on..then after lunch went on the open air bus which I love but it was really hot, and I look over and little hanna is basically asleep. She was just done. Frederick finds this confusing and attempts to keep her awake…Hanna!. (in fact he is often doing that…so tightly wound, and she so loose… the difference in their natural tendencies always amuses me-he is so tense and wildly enthusiastic and she is a dreamer that he is always trying to wake from her reverie..) So we get off at the bottom of the Island..there is statue of liberty children, there is a new telescope that will be stronger than the hubble..then finally to Dylans candy store where they lose their little minds. It is something from willy Wonka..I even grab a bag and start stuffing: three floors of candy, and a man in the middle of it all selling marshmallows or rice crispy treats dipped in chocolate…so the little darlings won’t feel peckish while they shop. It is insane. We have had to put them on a ration.
Then Queen Mary day..which is so wonderful the anticipation..you can see the ship from the Empire state building (where we went quickly in the morning) and then again from the Brooklyn bridge and the kiddies start to clap and scream and the driver is getting into it and it really might be the best part of the trip..the sight of it.
Once there, we rush to our entrance where I see what appears to be a woman with a sort of homeless-ish joie de vivre in a pink sweat suit, pulling a cart behind her, and wearing what are obviously adult diapers. I keep wondering how long she will keep this up..this dream of going on the QM2 in her pink sweats and diapers…when it seems she IS going…and I think..wow…social security must get you a windowless room in the bottom of the ship…but no, she is in front of us in the first class line. I can’t wait to see what she pulls out for formal night.
So all is in order..our rooms connect and H and F are so so excited by the little bathtub, and the chocolate covered strawberries in the room and just every little thing. Hanna is of course making us look good- we are all so excited by her girl stuff-the little dresses and shoes..even Frederick has gotten into the act…”I thought she was going to wear the pink tank top !”. We are of course worried she will wander off somewhere and get stolen, so we test her constantly: what is our room number? How do you spell Wehlen? Which is bow and which is stern? She plays along, but I think she wonders what our problem is exactly. She told me You know what I like about Frederick? What? That he always knows where everything is and what time to get there. She is less into the minutia, and it cracks me up to see Frederick try to get her to get the details Just So. He announced the other day that the two funniest things Hanna had said were when she asked if there were robbers on the Queen Mary…she seems concerned about crime…at the Carlyle, on the ship , wherever..i think she wants us to be vigilant. And the second was when we were driving to the ship and we went through a tunnel that was under water..something the Wehlen family gets reeeaally into, being the engineering types..they are… So we tell Hanna, and she says: What!? I don’t see any water!!! And this just kills F..he is torn between the obvious need to explain this to her..and his desire to gape in silence at the walls holding the water back…his little head almost explodes…I think she does it to amuse me and her..because his reaction is so predictable….
Yesterday she came to the gym with me because she said she liked that “thing where you walk…” and F is yelling: TREADMILL HANNA!! Yea-treadmill….and she is great!! Wants to get to 20 minutes, but at 15 the very confused English “trainer” ( I know I know-there is an oxymoron joke in there somewhere) comes up and say, uh no, an 8 year old can not run on the “thingie where you walk”…and you can just see the bubble over his head, like what will these freakie Yanks do next? Making children jog indeed.
F is constantly on the paddle tennis court, which she pretends to care about…but really I think she just likes the view.
Oh there are Quakers aboard…so fantastic…they are up early and drink lemonade and seem to be enjoying themselves greatly. I just went for a 40 minute run and they were walking around there before me and still there when I left….also they are fat.

Took the kids to the planetarium and the Bridge and later they are getting a tour of the ship that grown ups are not allowed on because of security. Thomas and I are incredibly envious. Then we will swim while uncle Thomas gets a massage…I think the markets are getting to him.

Tonight is formal night…handsome Turkish head guy is still here and even bigger job than ever…he gets to have his wife and 2 year old come aboard for a week or two! Sooo many people screaming about not getting this table or that…he seems to have his hands full.

Children each got a formal invitation to have a drink with the Commodore..We are already discussing what Hanna will wear. At the last minute I bought F a new shirt in the upper east side and hanna was with me and so I got her this headband that is insane on her…so cute. She intends to pull it out for the Commodore tomorrow.

Weather is warmer than I have ever seen it..people are on the stern in bathing suits sunning themselves..too weird.

Kids went on a tour of the boat and they were told to count the number of stairs going down from the 9th deck to the 1st and only 2 children got the answer correct: hanna and her friend. Hanna said to me:. Can you believe it was not Frederick? and then Thomas said, what was the correct number? and she said 206…and he asked F what number he got, and he said 199..and Hanna actually said_ OH! You were so close!!! and Thomas and I said, we need to seriously speak with you before you start to date honey..do not compliment men when they don't deserve it

Tonight they seemed so tired, we told them we would put them in bed, go to dinner and they could read until 8 15, and then they had to turn off the lights. They were so excited. The honor of it all. I am quite certain with those two the lights were off at 8 14. Hanna even said she was soo tired. Must get beauty sleep before meeting El Commodore. The commie as Thomas calls him.

Ok that is it for now…tonight Frederick and I will write a Things you did not know about Hanna list. For one, she does not like Sprite...and absolutely loves chocolate covered strawberries..she says she only misses mommy and daddy when she falls asleep which is good because she falls asleep faster than anyone except maybe Nana..we have timed her...she seems in good spirits.
pictures soon!