Night at the Museum Date

Good Thursday morning!

If you want some good ideas for teachers' gifts, hop over to "WelcometoHeidiswapp" under my Blog List. She has some suggestions I have never thought of before. Useful AND fun. The suggestions are in today's post.

I've added yet another picture from Austin's trip in the Gallery. The next two weeks, the Gallery will be full of pictures from our City Adventure to Nashville and graduation festivities. We're going to Tennessee this weekend. (More about that tomorrow!)

I tried the Strawberry Muffins from www.noblepig.com. Mikie loved them. Austin liked them. The other two haven't tried them yet. I didn't use coarse sugar on top of the muffins like she suggested. I used granulated. The closest thing I could find to coarse sugar in our grocery store was the Sugar in the Raw brand. I'm going to try this next time. (They are very good. They are not too sweet, and you could even microwave them for 10 seconds and eat them with a little strawberry jam or butter.) All in all, a keeper.

Weekend Family Fun

Alabama Jubilee - The Alabama Jubilee is a hot air balloon festival held at Point Mallard Park in Decatur, Alabama each year on Memorial Day Weekend (Saturday and Sunday). We have been twice. It is a fun place to picnic. You go to a huge field, and you watch as trucks arrive and start blowing up the hot air balloons late afternoon. Two of the balloon owners even tethered their balloons to their trucks and gave free hot air balloon "rides" for a while. ("Rides" meaning the balloons went straight up a little way and then they brought them right back down.) The kids loved it.

The Jubilee has grown over the years, and on their website (www.alabamajubilee.net) they have a list of activities we didn't have the two years we went. There is an Antique Car Show, Antique Tractor Show, Art Show and Kite Festival. There may be food vendors there now, but we always went the picnic route.

At dusk, you will hear many people talking about "The Illumination." The Illumination is when all the balloons fire up and light up the sky at the same time. While it is very beautiful, I will warn you it lasts mere seconds. Do not sneeze, blink or go to the bathroom or you will miss it.

When we last attended, we used the campground bathrooms across the field. I don't know if they have other facilities now. You can check the website for more information.

It is a very unique, fun thing to do with the kids. We took camp chairs, blankets, food, Frisbees, footballs, etc. and just hung out until the balloons started arriving. Sunday they will have a balloon race. We always went on Saturday, so we've never seen the actual race, but there were people we talked to who camped there during the weekend so they could experience the entire two days of the Jubilee.

Dollar Movie - The Dollar Movie in Hoover will be showing Race to Witch Mountain (starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson), Hotel for Dogs and Mall Cop. (NOTE: The Drive-In is still showing the same two movies, so when it changes, I'll let you know.)

Gift of Austin

Ah... The Gift of Austin. Our very first gift. Our most anticipated gift. The gift we stared at for hours at a time. The gift we held for days on end (even though everyone told us it would spoil the gift). The gift we ran to whenever he made a sigh, whimper, sneeze, cough or coo. The gift we (I) blinded with the camera because every second of every minute of every day was worth recording for posterity. The gift we read to, sang to, played with, dropped everything we might be doing to fulfill whatever he wanted RIGHT THAT SECOND. The gift that never skipped a bath. The gift that never had a dirty face or nose or hands or outfit. The gift we practiced all of our new parenting skills on... and yet the gift survived and thrived.

I remember sitting at a band concert two years ago, and hearing Austin's name announced as the new Drum Major for our high school band. Mike and I were stunned (as was Austin). He was only a junior. He had no conducting experience. Mike and I did not know how to teach him this skill. What were we going to do? How was my little freckle-faced, green-eyed boy going to take on such a huge responsibility?

A short three and a half months later, Mike and I were sitting in the bleachers as a 6'3" young man in a white Drum Major uniform walked into the football stadium with the band following close behind. We watched him step onto his podium, call the band to attention and then direct the band. Was it a "perfect" first time? No. He had a little help from the band director's wife. Was it amazing to realize that my little freckle-faced, green-eyed boy was showing traits I had never imagined him having before? Yes, indeed. Who was this young man... so tall and self-assured (on the outside)? I had no idea, but I wanted to know him. Just like I had known the little boy before him.

The Gift of Austin has been talkative, self-absorbed (at times) and does not like to multi-task. The Gift of Austin has also been giving, trustworthy, hardworking, loving and a true homebody. He has taken his role of big brother seriously. (We found out how seriously when Josh became ill.) Does that mean I never get angry with him? No. Does that mean he takes out the trash without being told? NO! (When is that going to happen?) Does that mean he is a perfect teenager? Sorry... No such thing.

For a woman who lives for the "firsts" in life, I have loved sharing the majority of those with Austin. The "firsts" coming up in the next few days, months and even years are a little scary for both of us, I think. But Austin is up for the challenge (even though I may not be).

He is, has always been, and will always be, my joy.

Night at the Museum Date

I know I said today's date would be perfect for a parent and teenager OR spouse, but this came to my attention today. Night at the Museum is coming out this Friday night.

On May 30 and June 6 at the McWane Center, they are having a Night at the Museum Camp-In. It's a little pricey ($40 for children and $35 for adults), but it would be one of those dates your guy (or girl) would NEVER forget! I know I wouldn't.

Included in the price is dinner, late night snacks, activities in the McWane Center, watching the movie on the IMAX screen and breakfast the next morning. After the planned activities for the evening are over, you and your date grab sleeping bags and pillows and find a place to settle in for the night.

McWane had this same Camp-In for the first movie, too. I'm glad they are continuing such a great activity. You'll need to call soon to get your reservations. I bet they fill up pretty fast. Call 714-8300.

Next week, I'll get to the other date... I promise.

I'm sorry I yelled at you yesterday. You do not have to do any of the stuff I mention on the blog. This should be a stress-free zone if you happen to come by. You shouldn't have to worry about me calling you... or coming by your house... or blog yelling.

That being said, you HAVE to try this date! It would be so much fun.

Have a great Thursday. Tomorrow is the LAST TV Review for a while, and I will have a a list of books which would make great graduation gifts.

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