Peach Park

Good Thursday morning!

Well, it's very evident to me there will not be a specific "topic" discussed this week. We're still in survival mode around here.

Austin left last night for his Virginia Beach band trip. He was so excited, and I'm happy for him, but I'll miss him... a lot. I keep telling myself it is just for three days, and I'll get to see him again on Sunday.

Last year was the first time Mike or I didn't go on a trip with Austin. The band went to Tampa and Busch Gardens. Well, we had never been to Busch Gardens before, so I HAD to have pictures. I sent the little digital camera with him. But because I know him soooo well, I knew he probably wouldn't take very many pics. That has always been my job, so he hasn't been much of a camera person. I enlisted the help of my friend, Peyton. She is Mr. Jeff's daughter, and if Austin were to have another sister, it would be Peyton. They have that kind of relationship.

I asked Peyton to take at least ONE good picture of Austin each day of the trip. "No problem, Miss Belinda." And she honored her commitment.

When Austin arrived home, I hugged and kissed him and made a grab for the camera. Imagine my surprise and delight when I saw dozens of wonderful pictures... that he had taken himself. He's a very good photographer. But at the beginning of each and every day was a picture of Austin and Peyton... in front of the bus. Both were in different groups, and both were anxious to get into the parks, and both were eager to please me. So I have four beautiful pictures of Peyton and Austin together... in four different T-shirts... on four different days... in front of THE SAME EXACT BUS! They had just made plans to meet as soon as they got off their respective buses and take care of that day's chore! (And on each page of the scrapbook for that trip, the very first picture in the upper left-hand corner is... you guessed it! Peyton and Austin in front of a white bus. Priceless!)

I think I'm going to have to rent an apartment for ME and go to college again. Well, not the classes, but at least every three days I would need to SEE him to make sure he's okay. I know. I know. I am pathetic. And just so you know, he's not attached to my "apron strings." He's more than ready, willing and able to try it on his own this fall. It's all me. Poor, pitiful me. I'm the only mother in the whole world who has ever gone through this before. Heavy, heavy, heavy sigh... tears flowing... baby movies coming out of the drawer under the entertainment center... sad, sad day. I need ice cream. Lots and lots and lots of ice cream, but because of the diabetes thing, I can't have ice cream.

That could be topic for next week... The 40s and why that decade should be totally avoided! I have lots of reasons why I would like to skip the 40s entirely. "But then you would be in your 50s," you correctly point out. Yeah. There aren't a lot of options out there, are there?

I was watching a TV show the other day while ironing and someone asked the guest what her favorite body part was. (She was a supermodel or something.) I didn't hear what she said because I was thinking how I would answer that question if it was posed to me. It took me a few minutes, but then I came up with the perfect answer... my low blood pressure. Does that count as a body part? It should. Of all the things that have gone totally wrong the past few years (body and otherwise), my blood pressure has remained constant. Low! Oh, and I have fairly nice ears, too. (Now I have to shop for new earrings for Sunday because everyone is going to want to look at my fairly nice ears. More stress.)

Nope. That's not going to be the topic next week. I can already tell it would be too depressing. I'll think of something, don't worry. Something light. Something uplifting.

As my buddy, Pooh, would say, "Think, think, think."

Weekend Family Fun

Remember when we talked about Noccalula Falls a few weeks back. This weekend they are having their First Annual Smoke on the Falls Barbeque Festival. It will be held May 15 and 16. The gates open Friday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. and Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m. Admission for children 6 to 12 is $5 and 13 and up is $10.

If you go on Friday night, they have the Foggy Hollow Band, New Delusions and Michael Warren for entertainment. They also have live entertainment Saturday.

Not only do you get the regular fun Noccalula Falls stuff (hiking, miniature golf, petting zoo, the Falls, Pioneer Village, train rides, etc.), but you also get to try great barbeque and hear live bands.

Since it is the "First Annual," I don't have any information about how wonderful it was two or three years ago. If you go to this, have a flexible, adventurous spirit and enjoy.

They haven't put the weekend showtimes on the website for the Dollar Movie yet. I'll keep checking today, and if there are new movies, I will alter the post.

Peach Park

This is a good date for a parent and child because it involves one-on-one time in the car. It's a 45-minute trek to Peach Park from our home. It is our tradition to stop on the way to the beach, and on the way back from the beach. We enjoy homemade ice cream and other goodies.

However, on a date it would be a great time to talk, talk, talk. While most people go to Peach Park for the ice cream and the sweets, they have WONDERFUL barbeque, too. It is a very relaxing place to have dinner, ice cream, swing in the big swings along the path beside the restaurant, or just rock in one of their big ol' rocking chairs and enjoy the breeze.

On the way home, have a CD with some of your favorite songs from when you were growing up. (Elvis and Barry Manilow for me!) Talk about anything and everything your little guy or girl wants to talk about. Listen and enjoy.

Thank goodness it is Thursday! Thursday... such a happy day! Tomorrow I'll have my TV Review. Celebrity Apprentice, LOST and Amazing Race ended this week, so it's all winding down. I'll also have a book suggestion for your little one.

Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.