Christmas Day - Ocean Swim and Norah's Bike

We had an incredible Christmas here in Dublin - our third since moving here. It was a quiet Christmas Day but over the break we spent a load of time with friends, did our first Christmas Day swim and felt so loved by family at home, who all sent presents from across the world.

See previous post for video on this.

Norah kept saying, for over a month, that all she wanted for Christmas was "a unicorn bike". She told strangers on the street as multiple people would ask, each and every day: "And what is Santy (Irish) going to bring??" Norah, straight faced, "A unicorn bike". Wayne and I were getting increasingly nervous as we couldn't figure out how to affix a unicorn horn onto the front of a bike in order to appease her (because that was the height of our creative thinking on the issue). We thought about using a paper towel roll but how could that not look terrible?? Cardboard and duct tape and inevitably stabbing people with the unicorn horn/jousting stick jutting out from the front of her bike??  My neighbor suggested getting a plain-colored bike and just putting unicorn stickers on it so I went on the hunt.... online. Well, as I scrolled through the choices at the very first store I see the label, "14'' Unicorn bike"!!! I screamed (full-on yelled) for Wayne, who was in the living room with Norah, and neither of us could believe they actually existed. We still don't know if this was something she imagined, or if she somehow saw another child with one of these. Probably the latter but I've certainly never seen one so I'd like to think, she conjured this mythical-beast-bike and I FOUND one! Still reading Joseph Campbell so I need everything to be an epic journey with battles (and unicorns).

Gorgeous Chrismtas Morning walking down to the 40 Foot for the Christmas Day Plunge! This line of cars is never here and they reach the next 1/2 mile, all the way to the swimming spot. I have NEVER seen this many people in Sandycove.

Arriving and meeting Joanna - we jogged down here to warm up (I'm still of the mind that's NOT what you want to do before jumping into ice cold water but I went along anyway).

You enter the 40 Foot just to the left there (a 200+ year old swimming spot in Dublin). Here's a short clip of the madness:

Instead of waiting in line, it looks like Ted lost it and just plunged off the side...It was now or never.

Graham making the jump (Wayne is in line just behind him and jumped right after Richie)

Buddy Richie taking the plunge from up top

Me, with my bare feet on the FROZEN stone and it huurrrrts. (This is my "AHHHHH! What am I DOING??"- Face)

Ohh myyy heavens....

Me pointing up to where Wayne is jumping (Joanna's taking pictures for us). I wasn't willing to jump the 10-15 foot drop where some of our group went so Clare and I....sensibly....walked down the stairs. Everyone thought we were nuts because we were knee deep in the water before we jumped off the side. In some ways its worse but I was way too afraid to plunge from the top.

 

This was taken by Clare's friend, Frank Miller, photographer for the Irish Times:

"Terror"

 Clare and I "swimming" around.

 Me at the top of the stairs (gasping), Clare coming out of the water and Wayne, center (also gasping).

 So proud to have done it! Merry Christmas! Now I'm Irish.

We brought a hot flask of coffee with us so we sat on the beach here and played for awhile. You're surprisingly warm and energized after an artic plunge (really not that bad, I'm not kidding) so we didn't want to head home.

Neither did these amazing dogs either. There were about 12 of them going absolutely nuts running on the beach. It was so sweet to watch.

 Heading down to the courtyard and looking down at Norah and her Daddy riding bikes. So sweet.

Google+ does these things and while they're a little odd, I love them! (Snow in the elevator?? Yes, please!)

Norah's gorgeous new coat and scarf from Aunt Mary. She has worn these two, every single day, since Christmas.