Good Thanksgiving (Thursday) morning!
We've already had our Thanksgiving with Mikie's family, and that was a lot of fun. I have to admit, the whole holiday "thing" has been re-energized by having a new baby in our midst. Thanks to our niece and her husband (Brandi and Jared), we now have Matthew. We haven't had a baby for 11 years (Roxie was the last one). And Matthew is not only the first grandchild and the first great-grandchild... he is also our first great-nephew. Which means I am officially a great-aunt. (I've always been a great aunt, but now other people have to admit it!) Matthew is pure enjoyment... happy, beautiful, animated and at almost 11 months old, he can read. He points to a picture, makes sounds and is ready to turn the page. He's brilliant, I tell you! Having a baby during the holidays makes it so much fun, and he is at the top of our list of what we're most thankful for this year.
By the time you're reading this, we will hopefully be on the road to the mountains. (Maybe not. We're notorious for leaving later than planned.) If things go as planned, we'll be having a candlelit Thanksgiving dinner tonight, and Mom requested we all dress up... ties and dresses. It should be fun.
Thanksgiving has turned into one of my favorite holidays as I've grown a little older. When I was a kid, it was just another thing I was trying to get through to get closer to Christmas, but I think we get a little more reflective the older we get... maybe a little wiser. I want moments to last a little longer. I not only want to record them with 1,000+ pictures, but in my memory as well. I want to remember the conversations around the dinner table, the fight over the last roll, and the inevitable, "I ate way too much." I want to remember people's faces... gangly teenage boys with braces and too long hair, teenage girls who have been in the bathroom WAY too long fixing hair and applying make-up, boys AND girls being naive enough to think Thanksgiving just "happens" or just "appears," not realizing all the work and preparation that takes place ahead of time.
I listed one of my favorite movies of all times is Cheaper By the Dozen. I like the whole movie, but my favorite part is the end when Steve Martin is sitting at the dinner table and his 12 kids are all talking, eating, etc., and Bonnie Hunt is at the other end of the table. For a moment, just a moment, everything for Steve Martin's character stops and he takes everything in... the chaos, the laughter, the noise, the fact that everyone is gathered together once again around the table. He shares a look with his wife, Bonnie Hunt's character, and then he enters the moment himself. The fact that his family is together and happy and healthy isn't taken for granted or lost in the shuffle. He gets it. He appreciates it. (I know, I know. This is a corny holiday movie, but I really like that part.)
I try to do that when we're all together now. It doesn't come naturally for me to stop (even for the briefest of moments), and breathe it all in. To make the mental picture instead of the camera picture is difficult for me. But when I've been able to accomplish this small feat, it has certainly been worth it. I can think back and there will be a smile on my face. That's what life is really made of, you know. Moments... good and bad. Some memorable, some forgettable, some extraordinary, some etched in our minds whether we want them to be or not. I hope you and your family enjoy so many good moments today. From our family to yours... Happy Thanksgiving!
Now, we have a little business to take care of.
City Adventure - Part Four
Okay. I think I've covered most of the questions regarding how to plan a City Adventure. We've been on two, so we are by no means experts.
Our first City Adventure was Atlanta, and although we had been there many times (Stone Mountain, Six Flags, Renaissance Festival, Aquarium, Zoo Atlanta, etc.), there were a couple of things we had not done before, so we began planning.
Since this was our first City Adventure and we were just going for a Friday and Saturday night in November, we took advantage of a couple of seasonal things.
We planned the following:
Tour of the new Coca-Cola Factory
Tour of CNN
Ice Skating in Millennium Park
Christmas Laser Light Show at Stone Mountain
Lunch at the Varsity
Lunch at Miss Pittypat's Porch
We didn't plan as much, nor did we plan anything free. However, we had saved the money, and we were well within our budget. This is basically how it played out...
Tour of the new Coca-Cola Factory - Great! We stayed about two hours more than they tell you to allot time to visit. We enjoyed everything from the movie to the old factory display to the polar bear to the tasting area. (We LOVED the tasting area.) It was great fun.
Tour of CNN - When we asked around to see what people thought about the tour, we could not find anyone who had actually been on the tour (including people who lived in Atlanta). "No reason," they would say. We decided to do the tour, but the reason no one goes on the tour with kids is pretty obvious. First, you do need to go during a weekday when it is much busier. There were very few people working the weekend shift and no one "famous." Two, it is definitely geared for news-loving adults more than teens or younger kids. I would not say "Do not go," but keep in mind who the tour is really for, and how expensive it is for younger people who are not "into" news or news coverage.
Ice Skating in Millennium Park - So much fun. It would have been even more fun at night with the lights, but it was a crisp, cool day and all of my kids love ice skating, so it was a big hit.
Christmas Laser Light Show at Stone Mountain - We have seen the Laser Light Show many, many times and absolutely love it. However, I think this was the first time they had a "Christmas" Laser Light Show. It lasted exactly eight minutes and the visuals weren't very good, and the music wasn't loud enough. I have a feeling they will tweak this in coming years, but it was not what we expected. We didn't pay to go into Stone Mountain itself (which was so beautifully lit) because of our budget, but if we go again in November, we will definitely go into Stone Mountain for the Christmas activities.
The Varsity - Eating at the Varsity was a treat since it is so old and so famous. We enjoyed our food and the atmosphere, and we wore our hats a lot longer than we needed to once we left the restaurant.
Miss Pittypat's Porch - We decided not to eat there since we were staying on the other side of Atlanta, so we will eat there on another occasion.
There was a Greek Diner across the street from our hotel, and it was a wonderful surprise. We all tried something a little different, and because the owner of the restaurant thought Roxie was cute, he let her pick out two huge pieces of cheesecake (she hates cheesecake) for us to take back to the hotel for later (a savings of $6.95 a piece)!
After taking the Atlanta trip (and enjoying it very much), we decided to plan a City Adventure once a year. For the year 2009, we will be going to Nashville, Tennessee. I have already started researching and we have already started saving. It's going to be a wonderful trip... I just feel it in my bones!
Book
I said I would throw in another favorite book for today. Actually, my favorite book for today is a set of vacation guides. The Family Fun Vacation Guide to (fill in the blank). They have New England, Florida, Southwest, Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic and California. For example, the New England book includes six states, day-trip itineraries, family-friendly restaurants, fun museums, age-by-age-advice, etc. They have maps, places to stay and they rate everything by the star system for specific ages. They are absolutely wonderful, easy to read, and have more information than the Internet. (I don't know that for a fact, but they are really, really good books.)
You can find them at Books-A-Million in the travel section. They are in paperback and cost $17.95, but I think they are well worth the money, especially if you are going to be able to use the book more than once.
Remember, I'll be gone for the next few days, but there will be a post bright and early Monday morning with a Christmas party or event. Have a great weekend, and take care.
Showing posts with label City Adventures. Show all posts
Showing posts with label City Adventures. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
City Adventure - Part Three
Good Wednesday morning!
Lots of packing going on around here. Getting five people ready for a four day trip is a lot of work. Thankfully, everyone's getting to the age they can pack themselves. (I have to check a couple of suitcases for appropriate clothing selections, but for the most part, teenagers can be very helpful!)
We're leaving this Thursday morning, Thanksgiving, to go to the mountains. We go every year with my parents and my sister and her family. It is a tradition. It is something we count on and look forward to each year. However, we have not always gone on Thanksgiving.
In 1998, we went on our first trip to the mountains as a family, and it was on Thanksgiving. Zac, my youngest nephew, wasn't even one yet. We stayed in a beautiful (but too small) cabin and had a wonderful time. The next nine years we went in January and February for some reason. I guess because they weren't as hectic as the holidays. If we went in January, we celebrated my niece's birthday (Katie), and if we went in February we celebrated Zac's birthday. They have had almost as many birthdays in the mountains as they have at home.
This year marks ten years of going to the mountains together. For many of those years, we were an even dozen. My parents, my family of five and my sister's family of five, but four years ago, my Dad suddenly passed away. Going to the mountains is not as "joyful" as it used to be because his absence is so evident in everything we do there.
He and the dads would always take the boys to the Knifeworks to browse and buy knives (he was a big collector); and the girls would head in the other direction in search of fudge. (We were big collectors, also. However, our collection didn't last as long as the knife collection).
We still do the same things though. Mike and Tom take the boys to Knifeworks, and of course, we womenfolk load up the van and look for fudge. We are the hunters in this group... in search of the perfect fudge! We do these things because we know Dad would not have wanted us to stop. He would have wanted us to go and enjoy and soak in the beauty of his favorite place in the world... so we go... and we do enjoy, but mostly we just miss him.
Our second year in the mountains, we took the kids to the Dixie Stampede. They had a ball even though the younger four do not remember it now. So this year, we decided to make a special trip to Dixie Stampede again so everyone will be able to experience this fun activity together.
Although this will not be the last time we go to the mountains as a family, like it or not things are changing. Austin will be going to college next year, and Brad the next. Within the next five to ten years, the kids could realistically be getting married and having children of their own. Things are changing indeed.
I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving. I hope everyone remembers to tell every member of their family how much they love them, and how much they mean to them. We take so much for granted... like the fact we expect everyone will be here next Thanksgiving and the next. I know I keep saying it again and again on this blog, but this is the only Thanksgiving 2008 you will ever have. Please celebrate it well.
City Adventure - Part Three
I have one more question and answer for you before I finish telling you about the Memphis City Adventure.
How do you get the kids interested and excited in something that ISN'T Disney or the beach or the mountains or (fill in the blank)?
Good question. I'm glad you asked. For the Memphis trip, it was based around Graceland and Elvis. Now how was I going to get a 17 year-old, 14 year-old and a 11 year-old thrilled to be going to museums for the better part of two days. I started with old Elvis movies. I bought three of them at Wal-Mart for $5.99 each, and we played one on the way there and two on the way home. They loved them. They were corny... Elvis broke into song at the least little pause in the storyline... there were at least two or more fights in every movie... the kids laughed at things that weren't meant to be funny. But most of all, I think the kids understood that Elvis was "special."
Also, even though the kids were way too old for this, I had a bag in the front of the van, and every hour on the hour, we would stop the movie or whatever else we were doing and one of them got to pick a piece of folded paper out of the bag. It was just a "fun fact" about Memphis. Nothing hilarious or earth shattering. Just a little nothing fact they didn't know before. (And to make things even more "preschool," every time they read a fact, they got a piece of candy. Don't laugh... it worked.)
We also made sure the other things we planned for the trip interested the kids at least a little. (Gibson Guitar was definitely something Josh was looking forward to more than the others, but Austin and Roxie had a ball there, also.)
Having a hotel with the pool and weight room was also very good. If you're not having the greatest day (more bad than good), head to the hotel for a soak in the hot tub and a pay per view movie that everyone will enjoy. We did that, and we had popcorn and relaxed and got ready for the next day. Make the trip fun, but not hectic... educational, but not boring... active, but not exhausting. And you'll have good time.
Tomorrow, I'll post some information about our Atlanta City Adventure. We had a couple of duds in this one, but we were able to salvage the trip and have a really memorable mini-vacation.
Have a great day today, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Lots of packing going on around here. Getting five people ready for a four day trip is a lot of work. Thankfully, everyone's getting to the age they can pack themselves. (I have to check a couple of suitcases for appropriate clothing selections, but for the most part, teenagers can be very helpful!)
We're leaving this Thursday morning, Thanksgiving, to go to the mountains. We go every year with my parents and my sister and her family. It is a tradition. It is something we count on and look forward to each year. However, we have not always gone on Thanksgiving.
In 1998, we went on our first trip to the mountains as a family, and it was on Thanksgiving. Zac, my youngest nephew, wasn't even one yet. We stayed in a beautiful (but too small) cabin and had a wonderful time. The next nine years we went in January and February for some reason. I guess because they weren't as hectic as the holidays. If we went in January, we celebrated my niece's birthday (Katie), and if we went in February we celebrated Zac's birthday. They have had almost as many birthdays in the mountains as they have at home.
This year marks ten years of going to the mountains together. For many of those years, we were an even dozen. My parents, my family of five and my sister's family of five, but four years ago, my Dad suddenly passed away. Going to the mountains is not as "joyful" as it used to be because his absence is so evident in everything we do there.
He and the dads would always take the boys to the Knifeworks to browse and buy knives (he was a big collector); and the girls would head in the other direction in search of fudge. (We were big collectors, also. However, our collection didn't last as long as the knife collection).
We still do the same things though. Mike and Tom take the boys to Knifeworks, and of course, we womenfolk load up the van and look for fudge. We are the hunters in this group... in search of the perfect fudge! We do these things because we know Dad would not have wanted us to stop. He would have wanted us to go and enjoy and soak in the beauty of his favorite place in the world... so we go... and we do enjoy, but mostly we just miss him.
Our second year in the mountains, we took the kids to the Dixie Stampede. They had a ball even though the younger four do not remember it now. So this year, we decided to make a special trip to Dixie Stampede again so everyone will be able to experience this fun activity together.
Although this will not be the last time we go to the mountains as a family, like it or not things are changing. Austin will be going to college next year, and Brad the next. Within the next five to ten years, the kids could realistically be getting married and having children of their own. Things are changing indeed.
I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving. I hope everyone remembers to tell every member of their family how much they love them, and how much they mean to them. We take so much for granted... like the fact we expect everyone will be here next Thanksgiving and the next. I know I keep saying it again and again on this blog, but this is the only Thanksgiving 2008 you will ever have. Please celebrate it well.
City Adventure - Part Three
I have one more question and answer for you before I finish telling you about the Memphis City Adventure.
How do you get the kids interested and excited in something that ISN'T Disney or the beach or the mountains or (fill in the blank)?
Good question. I'm glad you asked. For the Memphis trip, it was based around Graceland and Elvis. Now how was I going to get a 17 year-old, 14 year-old and a 11 year-old thrilled to be going to museums for the better part of two days. I started with old Elvis movies. I bought three of them at Wal-Mart for $5.99 each, and we played one on the way there and two on the way home. They loved them. They were corny... Elvis broke into song at the least little pause in the storyline... there were at least two or more fights in every movie... the kids laughed at things that weren't meant to be funny. But most of all, I think the kids understood that Elvis was "special."
Also, even though the kids were way too old for this, I had a bag in the front of the van, and every hour on the hour, we would stop the movie or whatever else we were doing and one of them got to pick a piece of folded paper out of the bag. It was just a "fun fact" about Memphis. Nothing hilarious or earth shattering. Just a little nothing fact they didn't know before. (And to make things even more "preschool," every time they read a fact, they got a piece of candy. Don't laugh... it worked.)
We also made sure the other things we planned for the trip interested the kids at least a little. (Gibson Guitar was definitely something Josh was looking forward to more than the others, but Austin and Roxie had a ball there, also.)
Having a hotel with the pool and weight room was also very good. If you're not having the greatest day (more bad than good), head to the hotel for a soak in the hot tub and a pay per view movie that everyone will enjoy. We did that, and we had popcorn and relaxed and got ready for the next day. Make the trip fun, but not hectic... educational, but not boring... active, but not exhausting. And you'll have good time.
Tomorrow, I'll post some information about our Atlanta City Adventure. We had a couple of duds in this one, but we were able to salvage the trip and have a really memorable mini-vacation.
Have a great day today, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Monday, November 24, 2008
City Adventure - Part Two
Good Tuesday morning!
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! It looks like a lot of people are skipping Thanksgiving this year (but I know they're not). We spent Sunday with Mike's family in Oxford, and it was pretty amazing how many people were putting up their Christmas trees and outside lights. And I'm pretty sure that everything was lit up last night after we pulled out. It makes me a little breathless and nervous... but I have to stop myself and enjoy Thanksgiving... even though there is a big ol' gingerbread house sitting on my dining room table!
Okay. Just a little info. If you go to Becky Higgin's Blog (see my Blog List), always make sure to check out the Recipe section of her blog. I have tried at least a dozen of her recipes and they are very good, and a lot of them are very easy. Her Chicken Noodle Soup and Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins are some of my favorites, and I've started taking the soup to families who have just had a baby with some homeade cornbread, etc. Anyway, it's a good recipe source.
Also, check out the Cornbread Pudding recipe on the sophistimom blog (see my Blog List). I haven't tried it yet, but I'm going to very soon. It looks really good to me.
I guess I'll get right to it for today. My last goal (for now... not forever).
Goal Number Four
My fourth goal is very new. Since I started my blog almost six weeks ago, and I don't have it on a blogging list anywhere, and since I have "advertised" by word of mouth only... well, I suppose you can guess the rest. I would like to have 50+ hits a day on my blog by January 1. Right now, I average 23 to 26 hits a day which is great, but being a number person, it would be fun to see that number grow.
So, if you are one of the 23 to 26 people who read this blog every day, I am asking you, the Few and the Faithful, to share my blog address with someone who would be interested. If it's someone who doesn't have the slightest interest in the stuff I have an enormous interest in... please don't bother them. But, if there's a young mom out there you know, etc., etc. who might have an interest, by all means, SHARE!
If you don't know me personally, you probably think this is a pretty shameless plug. But keep in mind, I call people and beg for Christmas cards, so I guess I am pretty shameless. (One of my better qualities!)
I have a little sitemeter that keeps up with how many hits I get a day, so I'll be watching and updating. I guess I can let you know every Monday, Wednesday and Friday during the month of December when I give you my Christmas card count. Let's try to be efficient, shall we?
(I've probably lost 15 to 20 readers just by posting this request!) Oh, well! For those hanging in there, I've got two more tips for the City Adventure. Also, I've made a list of some things coming up in the next few months other than the norm at the bottom of this post.
City Adventure - Part Two
Here are two more questions (and answers) regarding City Adventures:
How do you pick activities for your family?
I usually go to the library and check out a book on the city if there is one available. Also, I Google "Family Fun in (Name of City)," and I get a ton of information there. I call the Chamber of Commerce and ask them to send me any and all brochures they have regarding anything vacation-worthy their city has to offer. Then, I start talking to anyone and everyone to see who has family in the city, who has gone there for vacation, what was their favorite thing to do, where was their favorite place to eat, etc., etc., etc.
I've even gotten names and numbers of people I didn't know from people who were family or friends with them, and talked with them personally to see what they liked. (Always get the family member or friend to check with the person first to see if they would be willing to talk with you a few minutes before you call. I've never had a problem with this.)
Also, you can call one of the larger hotels in the city and ask to speak to the concierge. All you have to say is that you're looking into planning a trip and ask what he would suggest for a family of four with young children (or teenagers, or grandparents, etc.). These people are loaded with wonderful information and they do not mind sharing.
Another resource is the local library in the city. Librarians know many, many things about their city, and they may even have an event calendar with concerts in the park, etc. listed on them.
Whenever you talk to someone and get an idea for a place or restaurant to visit, write down the name of the place to research on-line at a later time. Most of the time, the person you're talking to will not remember how much tickets or menu items cost. You'll need to get this information from the specific place.
How many activities do you pick for a two and a half day stay?
My "rule of thumb" is to try to pick ten things to do that cost (tours, restaurants, zoos, museums, etc.) and five things to do that are free. After you find 15 things, narrow the ten "costly" items down to five. Now you have to find out how much the tickets are and times. Keep in mind, you will not do ten things in two and a half days, but you need the options. Here is the original list from our Memphis Trip:
Orpheum Theater ($)
Graceland Tour ($)
Gibson Guitar Tour ($)
Canoeing at Mud Island ($)
Picnic Only at Mud Island (FREE)
Peabody Hotel - March of the Ducks (FREE)
A. Schwab Drug Store (FREE)
Beale Street (FREE)
Duck Tours ($)
Zoo ($)
Sun Studios (FREE)
Corky's Barbecue ($)
The Little Tea Shop ($)
Central Barbecue ($)
Stop at Tupelo on the way home to visit Elvis' Birthplace (FREE)
Now, what we actually ended up doing for free was the following:
Walking down famous Beale Street (during the day)
Looking at one of the most famous and oldest stores in the country - A. Schwab
Picnic at Mud Island
Watching the ducks march in at the Peabody Hotel
Stop at Tupelo on the way home to visit Elvis' Birthplace
The things we did that cost some money were as follows:
Graceland Tour
The Little Tea Shop
Gibson Guitar Tour
Corky's Barbecue
The restaurants were famous and excellent. We had gotten several good recommendations from residents and visitors alike saying how good they both were. The Graceland Tour was wonderful and we spent several hours there. One of the unexpected favorites was the Gibson Guitar Tour. I was probably the only one who wasn't crazy about it, but it was hard for me to breathe in the factory because of all the fine dust. No one in our family has breathing problems, but I wouldn't suggest this tour to someone who has asthma or any other kind of respiratory problems. However, all the kids and Mikie loved it.
The things we ended up not doing just did not fit into the time schedule. We weren't disappointed because we were able to experience such new and different things, and we'll do the other things next time we go to Memphis... because we definitely want to go again!
We went back and forth about whether to canoe at Mud Island (which is a pretty little island right beside downtown Memphis and next to the Mississippi River). It is beautiful. However, when you put your canoe in, you are in the fast-flowing Mississippi River... you know, the one with the barges and the white caps and... did I say fast-flowing water? Having only canoed once before (we think... we weren't even sure), we decided we were not experienced enough "canoers" to survive that adventure on the Mighty Mississippi. (However, the picnic was very nice, and the view was great, and did I mention it was FREE?)
I wanted to share a quick story about Elvis. One of the main reasons I wanted to go to Memphis was to see Graceland. I was, and am, a huge Elvis fan. At age 14, I was in attendance at his last concert in Birmingham before he passed away the next year. I watched every movie he was ever in with my cousin, Becky, growing up. He was "it."
When Austin was nine years-old, the old Alabama Theater had an Elvis Movie Marathon, and on Sunday afternoon, I took Austin to see Blue Hawaii. The old theater had been redone and it was so beautiful. It was fun sharing something that had been so important to me growing up. They even had an Elvis impersonator there to perform before the movie. (He was great, by the way.)
Austin and I walked into the theater and went to get popcorn and a drink. We walked up to a counter and they had these beautiful turquoise drinks in these fun huge glasses sitting on the counter top. Austin slapped his hand down and said, "I'll have one of those, please."
The person behind the counter said, "You can't have one, son, but your mother certainly can."
I wasn't really paying attention, so I said, "Sure. I'll have one. What are they called?"
"Blue Hawaii," was the reply.
"Cute," I said. I did not hesitate ordering one because I thought the only reason they didn't want a nine year-old boy having one was because he might spill a bright blue drink all over the Alabama Theater. I totally understood that. "Give me two straws, please," I requested.
"Why?" the person asked.
"So we don't have to share a straw," I pointed out. That was an odd question.
"Ma'am, this is an alcoholic drink. You can't let your child have any of it."
Wow. It never even occurred to me that the Alabama Theater would serve alcoholic drinks on a Sunday at an Elvis movie. Wow, again. "Two Cokes, please," I said.
Austin, of course, had taken all this in. "You would have let me get drunk. You were going to give me alcohol. Alcohol is a drug, you know." Thank you, D.A.R.E. Program.
"Austin, it was a mistake... and if you ever tell anyone (and I mean anyone), that will be an even bigger mistake. Do you understand?"
He nodded and we headed to our seats. Close call. I've had several of those, but hopefully this will serve as a warning to all of you out there... I've asked around and most turquoise colored drinks do, in fact, have alcohol in them. Just so you know.
Tune in tomorrow for Part Three of the City Adventure where I'll share one more question and answer, and I'll post a couple of good/bad experiences we've had in our two city adventures. Every "bad" helps you tweak things for the next adventure.
Okay. In December, everything will be back to normal (Monday - Party/Event; Tuesday - Recipe; Wednesday - Seasonal Tradition; Thursday - Child or Spouse Date; and Friday - Book). In January, there will be one week devoted to "How to Start Camping With Your Family." We have almost three dozen camping adventures under our belt (I'll have to count by then and give you an exact number), and I'll share what I've learned, and maybe some others will jump in with advice about what they've learned during their camping experiences. After the "Camping" week, we'll get back on schedule once again.
Then, in February, I would like to share some of my son's story. Josh has been ill since December 5 of 2005, and although he is much improved right now, there is no cure for his illness. (He has good days and bad days... and always will.) When he was diagnosed, Mike and I were in a place where there were not many resources and fewer people to talk to, so I would like to talk about this time in our lives because maybe there is a chance it might help someone else (or even us if there is any feedback). And again, since February is a huge holiday month, I will get back on track for a lot of Valentine fun to have with your kids and spouse. (I've got some great Valentine/February "stuff.")
I hope everyone has a great Tuesday. I'll talk to you tomorrow!
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! It looks like a lot of people are skipping Thanksgiving this year (but I know they're not). We spent Sunday with Mike's family in Oxford, and it was pretty amazing how many people were putting up their Christmas trees and outside lights. And I'm pretty sure that everything was lit up last night after we pulled out. It makes me a little breathless and nervous... but I have to stop myself and enjoy Thanksgiving... even though there is a big ol' gingerbread house sitting on my dining room table!
Okay. Just a little info. If you go to Becky Higgin's Blog (see my Blog List), always make sure to check out the Recipe section of her blog. I have tried at least a dozen of her recipes and they are very good, and a lot of them are very easy. Her Chicken Noodle Soup and Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins are some of my favorites, and I've started taking the soup to families who have just had a baby with some homeade cornbread, etc. Anyway, it's a good recipe source.
Also, check out the Cornbread Pudding recipe on the sophistimom blog (see my Blog List). I haven't tried it yet, but I'm going to very soon. It looks really good to me.
I guess I'll get right to it for today. My last goal (for now... not forever).
Goal Number Four
My fourth goal is very new. Since I started my blog almost six weeks ago, and I don't have it on a blogging list anywhere, and since I have "advertised" by word of mouth only... well, I suppose you can guess the rest. I would like to have 50+ hits a day on my blog by January 1. Right now, I average 23 to 26 hits a day which is great, but being a number person, it would be fun to see that number grow.
So, if you are one of the 23 to 26 people who read this blog every day, I am asking you, the Few and the Faithful, to share my blog address with someone who would be interested. If it's someone who doesn't have the slightest interest in the stuff I have an enormous interest in... please don't bother them. But, if there's a young mom out there you know, etc., etc. who might have an interest, by all means, SHARE!
If you don't know me personally, you probably think this is a pretty shameless plug. But keep in mind, I call people and beg for Christmas cards, so I guess I am pretty shameless. (One of my better qualities!)
I have a little sitemeter that keeps up with how many hits I get a day, so I'll be watching and updating. I guess I can let you know every Monday, Wednesday and Friday during the month of December when I give you my Christmas card count. Let's try to be efficient, shall we?
(I've probably lost 15 to 20 readers just by posting this request!) Oh, well! For those hanging in there, I've got two more tips for the City Adventure. Also, I've made a list of some things coming up in the next few months other than the norm at the bottom of this post.
City Adventure - Part Two
Here are two more questions (and answers) regarding City Adventures:
How do you pick activities for your family?
I usually go to the library and check out a book on the city if there is one available. Also, I Google "Family Fun in (Name of City)," and I get a ton of information there. I call the Chamber of Commerce and ask them to send me any and all brochures they have regarding anything vacation-worthy their city has to offer. Then, I start talking to anyone and everyone to see who has family in the city, who has gone there for vacation, what was their favorite thing to do, where was their favorite place to eat, etc., etc., etc.
I've even gotten names and numbers of people I didn't know from people who were family or friends with them, and talked with them personally to see what they liked. (Always get the family member or friend to check with the person first to see if they would be willing to talk with you a few minutes before you call. I've never had a problem with this.)
Also, you can call one of the larger hotels in the city and ask to speak to the concierge. All you have to say is that you're looking into planning a trip and ask what he would suggest for a family of four with young children (or teenagers, or grandparents, etc.). These people are loaded with wonderful information and they do not mind sharing.
Another resource is the local library in the city. Librarians know many, many things about their city, and they may even have an event calendar with concerts in the park, etc. listed on them.
Whenever you talk to someone and get an idea for a place or restaurant to visit, write down the name of the place to research on-line at a later time. Most of the time, the person you're talking to will not remember how much tickets or menu items cost. You'll need to get this information from the specific place.
How many activities do you pick for a two and a half day stay?
My "rule of thumb" is to try to pick ten things to do that cost (tours, restaurants, zoos, museums, etc.) and five things to do that are free. After you find 15 things, narrow the ten "costly" items down to five. Now you have to find out how much the tickets are and times. Keep in mind, you will not do ten things in two and a half days, but you need the options. Here is the original list from our Memphis Trip:
Orpheum Theater ($)
Graceland Tour ($)
Gibson Guitar Tour ($)
Canoeing at Mud Island ($)
Picnic Only at Mud Island (FREE)
Peabody Hotel - March of the Ducks (FREE)
A. Schwab Drug Store (FREE)
Beale Street (FREE)
Duck Tours ($)
Zoo ($)
Sun Studios (FREE)
Corky's Barbecue ($)
The Little Tea Shop ($)
Central Barbecue ($)
Stop at Tupelo on the way home to visit Elvis' Birthplace (FREE)
Now, what we actually ended up doing for free was the following:
Walking down famous Beale Street (during the day)
Looking at one of the most famous and oldest stores in the country - A. Schwab
Picnic at Mud Island
Watching the ducks march in at the Peabody Hotel
Stop at Tupelo on the way home to visit Elvis' Birthplace
The things we did that cost some money were as follows:
Graceland Tour
The Little Tea Shop
Gibson Guitar Tour
Corky's Barbecue
The restaurants were famous and excellent. We had gotten several good recommendations from residents and visitors alike saying how good they both were. The Graceland Tour was wonderful and we spent several hours there. One of the unexpected favorites was the Gibson Guitar Tour. I was probably the only one who wasn't crazy about it, but it was hard for me to breathe in the factory because of all the fine dust. No one in our family has breathing problems, but I wouldn't suggest this tour to someone who has asthma or any other kind of respiratory problems. However, all the kids and Mikie loved it.
The things we ended up not doing just did not fit into the time schedule. We weren't disappointed because we were able to experience such new and different things, and we'll do the other things next time we go to Memphis... because we definitely want to go again!
We went back and forth about whether to canoe at Mud Island (which is a pretty little island right beside downtown Memphis and next to the Mississippi River). It is beautiful. However, when you put your canoe in, you are in the fast-flowing Mississippi River... you know, the one with the barges and the white caps and... did I say fast-flowing water? Having only canoed once before (we think... we weren't even sure), we decided we were not experienced enough "canoers" to survive that adventure on the Mighty Mississippi. (However, the picnic was very nice, and the view was great, and did I mention it was FREE?)
I wanted to share a quick story about Elvis. One of the main reasons I wanted to go to Memphis was to see Graceland. I was, and am, a huge Elvis fan. At age 14, I was in attendance at his last concert in Birmingham before he passed away the next year. I watched every movie he was ever in with my cousin, Becky, growing up. He was "it."
When Austin was nine years-old, the old Alabama Theater had an Elvis Movie Marathon, and on Sunday afternoon, I took Austin to see Blue Hawaii. The old theater had been redone and it was so beautiful. It was fun sharing something that had been so important to me growing up. They even had an Elvis impersonator there to perform before the movie. (He was great, by the way.)
Austin and I walked into the theater and went to get popcorn and a drink. We walked up to a counter and they had these beautiful turquoise drinks in these fun huge glasses sitting on the counter top. Austin slapped his hand down and said, "I'll have one of those, please."
The person behind the counter said, "You can't have one, son, but your mother certainly can."
I wasn't really paying attention, so I said, "Sure. I'll have one. What are they called?"
"Blue Hawaii," was the reply.
"Cute," I said. I did not hesitate ordering one because I thought the only reason they didn't want a nine year-old boy having one was because he might spill a bright blue drink all over the Alabama Theater. I totally understood that. "Give me two straws, please," I requested.
"Why?" the person asked.
"So we don't have to share a straw," I pointed out. That was an odd question.
"Ma'am, this is an alcoholic drink. You can't let your child have any of it."
Wow. It never even occurred to me that the Alabama Theater would serve alcoholic drinks on a Sunday at an Elvis movie. Wow, again. "Two Cokes, please," I said.
Austin, of course, had taken all this in. "You would have let me get drunk. You were going to give me alcohol. Alcohol is a drug, you know." Thank you, D.A.R.E. Program.
"Austin, it was a mistake... and if you ever tell anyone (and I mean anyone), that will be an even bigger mistake. Do you understand?"
He nodded and we headed to our seats. Close call. I've had several of those, but hopefully this will serve as a warning to all of you out there... I've asked around and most turquoise colored drinks do, in fact, have alcohol in them. Just so you know.
Tune in tomorrow for Part Three of the City Adventure where I'll share one more question and answer, and I'll post a couple of good/bad experiences we've had in our two city adventures. Every "bad" helps you tweak things for the next adventure.
Okay. In December, everything will be back to normal (Monday - Party/Event; Tuesday - Recipe; Wednesday - Seasonal Tradition; Thursday - Child or Spouse Date; and Friday - Book). In January, there will be one week devoted to "How to Start Camping With Your Family." We have almost three dozen camping adventures under our belt (I'll have to count by then and give you an exact number), and I'll share what I've learned, and maybe some others will jump in with advice about what they've learned during their camping experiences. After the "Camping" week, we'll get back on schedule once again.
Then, in February, I would like to share some of my son's story. Josh has been ill since December 5 of 2005, and although he is much improved right now, there is no cure for his illness. (He has good days and bad days... and always will.) When he was diagnosed, Mike and I were in a place where there were not many resources and fewer people to talk to, so I would like to talk about this time in our lives because maybe there is a chance it might help someone else (or even us if there is any feedback). And again, since February is a huge holiday month, I will get back on track for a lot of Valentine fun to have with your kids and spouse. (I've got some great Valentine/February "stuff.")
I hope everyone has a great Tuesday. I'll talk to you tomorrow!
Friday, November 21, 2008
City Adventure - Part One
Good Monday morning!
I hope everyone had a a great weekend. We certainly did, and part of the reason why is because it's not over yet. We're off the entire week. Nine whole days! YES!
There's a new pic in the Showcase Picture of the Week. There's a couple of some weekend happenings. I'll be adding one or two pictures a day of the City Adventure we took to Memphis this past summer, also.
Roxie has been fighting NOT celebrating any part of Christmas until after Thanksgiving. I haven't told her yet, but since we are going to be out of town next weekend, I have to bring up two of our trees and have them ready to light when we get home Sunday night. She is NOT going to be happy. We're going to have to make our Christmas Tree Farm run sometime the next week when Mikie can get off work early, so some of our decorating will have to be done after December 1. That's not how I like it to be, but we do keep everything up until New Year's Eve so that will help my feelings a little.
And just to drive her a little more over the edge, we had her friend, Ragan, over today to do gingerbread houses. (See pictures above.) Gingerbread houses were fine... crafty and fun, but Ragan wanted to have Christmas music playing, too. Okay. Roxie was a good, little hostess. (She's like that with her food, too. She doesn't like anthing touching anything else. Just like she doesn't like Halloween "touching" Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving "touching" Christmas. We have got to get a little more flexible over here!)
Today's a big day. Today I reveal Goal Number Three. That's right! It's one of my favorites.
I've always loved getting mail. Any kind of mail... letters, cards, magazines, other people's mail, etc. But Christmas cards. Oh, the joy! To hear from people you haven't heard from all year. To get pictures of their little ones and their puppies and kittens. To just get the cards themselves all festive and beautiful. To receive a letter telling every tiny little detail that has happened to that family over the year. It is delightful! (I am not kidding... I love those letters!) These cards are part of my holiday decorations each year. I cover the entryways into my living room, my music room and my den with all of the cards. If by some wonderful chance I have even more cards, they start adorning my smaller entryways into the dining room and kitchen.
When Mike and I first married, I set a goal of getting 50 cards that year. Now keep in mind, I'm not someone who doesn't send out Christmas cards and just expects them. No sir. I send cards. I send cards to people I've known since I was two all the way to the two policemen who helped me with my "official" wreck the other day. (One of them gave me his card with the police report. The BEST part of that day, I can tell you!) Right now, my list stands at a little more than 110.
I can't tell you how excited I was five years ago when I received exactly 50 cards. (The year before, I had received 48 cards, and I must be honest... that just about did me in.) Thankfully, five years ago one of my friends didn't send her card until New Year's, but it counted because it had the word Christmas in it. Forty-nine. That was worse than the year before when I had 48. Forty-nine. I waited until the middle of January and put my cards away. Oh, well... maybe next year. But then a Christmas miracle happened... in March. My old roommate sent me a Christmas card. It had the word "Christmas" on it. Her children were even dressed in costume for a live nativity scene. She had written on the envelope they had had a very hectic year, and this was the best she could do. FIFTY! FIFTY! Yes. I called her immediately and told her how excited I was to get a Christmas card in March. How fun. How inventive of her. She was wonderful. (I was not kidding. I was ecstatic!) (Now that's a good word... "ecstatic." Not up there with "autumnal," but a good word nonetheless!)
Now what? I was only 42 years old. I had reached an important milestone in my life. There were 50 people out there who would send me Christmas cards. I decided I would up the goal to 65. Wow. That would take some doing, wouldn't it? Sixty-five was a huge number.
Three years later, I reached the goal of 65. Of course, now I had become a telephone solicitor and had started calling to make sure friends and family were sending me a card. (I actually have people who just send me a card... no one else, just me. They tell me that to make me feel bad for them, I think, but I just say "Thank you very much," and let them know how much their Christmas cheer is appreciated.) My goal for the past two years has been 75. Last year, I received 70. This is my year. I can feel it.
Here are the rules for this goal. The card can come from anyone as long as it is a Christmas card with a Christmas greeting appearing somewhere on the card itself. I even accept the Christmas card from the insurance agent of the people who lived in this house before us... we've been here seven years this November, and he diligently sends a card and a calendar every year.
One time I parked crooked at a Cracker Barrel where I had met some friends for a Christmas breakfast. When I came out of the restaurant, there was a torn brown paper bag stuck to my windshield. There were some mild obscenities written on the bag regarding my careless parking (it's hard parking the big gold van sometimes), but at the bottom the person had written very sarcastically "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" Ah. A Christmas card. Number 68 to be exact. Of course, when I got home, I neatly trimmed the torn paper bag and used a Sharpie to remove some of the more questionable Christmas verbage, but I hung it up just the same. A Christmas card is a Christmas card... even if the Grinch gives it to you!
I even have a person who sends me anonymous Christmas cards... one or two each year to help me reach my goal. In fact, on Friday, November 21 of this year, I received my first two Christmas cards. One from an anonymous friend, and one from the Salvation Army asking for a donation. They are hanging alone in the entryway of my living room. (See picture above.) I love them... and I love the anonymous people who sent them my way!
"Isn't Christmas stressful enough without having to add the pressure of trying to get a certain number of Christmas cards each year?" you may ask.
To which I cheerfully respond, "Isn't it amazing since Christmas can be so stressful that having a little ol' Christmas card in your mailbox melts away all the 'baggage' that can come with this holiday? Isn't it wonderful to hear from people far and near and see pictures of their family in Christmas sweaters and hear wonderful stories about what everyone has been doing? Isn't it the most glorious feeling to have memories flood over you of times spent with that person or family in years past?"
It's a funny, harmless little goal. I like it. It makes me smile. It makes me skip to my mailbox every day beginning the day after Thanksgiving... which in turn makes my neighbors smile. My goal this year is 75. There, I said it again. I will let you know each Monday, Wednesday and Friday beginning December 1 how I'm doing in the card department just so you can share in the excitement!
Don't forget... there's one more goal I'll share with you tomorrow. But until then, we have a City Adventure to plan.
City Adventure - Part 1
In Part 1 of planning a City Adventure, I will answer the following questions:
What is a City Adventure?
A City Adventure is exploring a new city with your family. Actually, it can be a city you have visited before (like Atlanta), but with a City Adventure you will see and do things you have never done before.
How do you pick the City?
Since gas has been so high up until just recently, we look for a city two to four hours from our home. Atlanta is 2 1/2 hours away. Memphis is 3 1/2 to 4 hours away. We look for a metropolitan city that has a lot of different things to offer: entertainment, lodging, restaurants, tours, etc.
How do you afford the City Adventure?
Much like the Family Date, we put $20 a pay period into an envelope marked City Adventure. Mike and I will also put $10 to $20 from Christmas money or birthday money we might receive into the envelope. If he gets a bonus or an income tax refund, we will put $20 to $50 in the envelope. We are trying to save $500 to $600 for five people staying in a city for two nights. This can take nine to ten months, so we make sure we plan carefully to have things to do the whole family will enjoy.
We are looking for lodging that serves continental breakfast. We are also looking for lodging that has a pool, weight room and any other amenities our family would enjoy. (TIP: We stayed at Homewood Suites in Memphis, and they not only served a continental breakfast, but a "light" supper. One night the supper consisted of chicken pot pie, English peas and a salad bar. The second night they had egg rolls, lo mein noodles and a salad bar. Having two meals a day included in our stay at the hotel was wonderful, and we carefully picked the two "special" restaurants where we wanted to eat while in Memphis.)
Also, in any large city you visit, call the Chamber of Commerce well ahead of time and ask them if any of the museums, zoos, aquariums or other places of interest in their city have "free days" or "free times" which are open to the public. It may be the first Tuesday of the month from noon until 5:00 (and it may be two or three things are free on the same day at the same time). If that's the case, you can plan your trip to include that day and pick one or two of the free things to do. If you go to a museum at noon for free and stay two hours, you can probably still make it to the zoo before the 5:00 deadline and maybe have two free hours there, also.
Tune in tomorrow for City Adventure - Part 2. This post will answer two more questions regarding the planning of your adventure.
I hope you have a great Monday, and I'll talk to you tomorrow!
I hope everyone had a a great weekend. We certainly did, and part of the reason why is because it's not over yet. We're off the entire week. Nine whole days! YES!
There's a new pic in the Showcase Picture of the Week. There's a couple of some weekend happenings. I'll be adding one or two pictures a day of the City Adventure we took to Memphis this past summer, also.
Roxie has been fighting NOT celebrating any part of Christmas until after Thanksgiving. I haven't told her yet, but since we are going to be out of town next weekend, I have to bring up two of our trees and have them ready to light when we get home Sunday night. She is NOT going to be happy. We're going to have to make our Christmas Tree Farm run sometime the next week when Mikie can get off work early, so some of our decorating will have to be done after December 1. That's not how I like it to be, but we do keep everything up until New Year's Eve so that will help my feelings a little.
And just to drive her a little more over the edge, we had her friend, Ragan, over today to do gingerbread houses. (See pictures above.) Gingerbread houses were fine... crafty and fun, but Ragan wanted to have Christmas music playing, too. Okay. Roxie was a good, little hostess. (She's like that with her food, too. She doesn't like anthing touching anything else. Just like she doesn't like Halloween "touching" Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving "touching" Christmas. We have got to get a little more flexible over here!)
Today's a big day. Today I reveal Goal Number Three. That's right! It's one of my favorites.
I've always loved getting mail. Any kind of mail... letters, cards, magazines, other people's mail, etc. But Christmas cards. Oh, the joy! To hear from people you haven't heard from all year. To get pictures of their little ones and their puppies and kittens. To just get the cards themselves all festive and beautiful. To receive a letter telling every tiny little detail that has happened to that family over the year. It is delightful! (I am not kidding... I love those letters!) These cards are part of my holiday decorations each year. I cover the entryways into my living room, my music room and my den with all of the cards. If by some wonderful chance I have even more cards, they start adorning my smaller entryways into the dining room and kitchen.
When Mike and I first married, I set a goal of getting 50 cards that year. Now keep in mind, I'm not someone who doesn't send out Christmas cards and just expects them. No sir. I send cards. I send cards to people I've known since I was two all the way to the two policemen who helped me with my "official" wreck the other day. (One of them gave me his card with the police report. The BEST part of that day, I can tell you!) Right now, my list stands at a little more than 110.
I can't tell you how excited I was five years ago when I received exactly 50 cards. (The year before, I had received 48 cards, and I must be honest... that just about did me in.) Thankfully, five years ago one of my friends didn't send her card until New Year's, but it counted because it had the word Christmas in it. Forty-nine. That was worse than the year before when I had 48. Forty-nine. I waited until the middle of January and put my cards away. Oh, well... maybe next year. But then a Christmas miracle happened... in March. My old roommate sent me a Christmas card. It had the word "Christmas" on it. Her children were even dressed in costume for a live nativity scene. She had written on the envelope they had had a very hectic year, and this was the best she could do. FIFTY! FIFTY! Yes. I called her immediately and told her how excited I was to get a Christmas card in March. How fun. How inventive of her. She was wonderful. (I was not kidding. I was ecstatic!) (Now that's a good word... "ecstatic." Not up there with "autumnal," but a good word nonetheless!)
Now what? I was only 42 years old. I had reached an important milestone in my life. There were 50 people out there who would send me Christmas cards. I decided I would up the goal to 65. Wow. That would take some doing, wouldn't it? Sixty-five was a huge number.
Three years later, I reached the goal of 65. Of course, now I had become a telephone solicitor and had started calling to make sure friends and family were sending me a card. (I actually have people who just send me a card... no one else, just me. They tell me that to make me feel bad for them, I think, but I just say "Thank you very much," and let them know how much their Christmas cheer is appreciated.) My goal for the past two years has been 75. Last year, I received 70. This is my year. I can feel it.
Here are the rules for this goal. The card can come from anyone as long as it is a Christmas card with a Christmas greeting appearing somewhere on the card itself. I even accept the Christmas card from the insurance agent of the people who lived in this house before us... we've been here seven years this November, and he diligently sends a card and a calendar every year.
One time I parked crooked at a Cracker Barrel where I had met some friends for a Christmas breakfast. When I came out of the restaurant, there was a torn brown paper bag stuck to my windshield. There were some mild obscenities written on the bag regarding my careless parking (it's hard parking the big gold van sometimes), but at the bottom the person had written very sarcastically "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" Ah. A Christmas card. Number 68 to be exact. Of course, when I got home, I neatly trimmed the torn paper bag and used a Sharpie to remove some of the more questionable Christmas verbage, but I hung it up just the same. A Christmas card is a Christmas card... even if the Grinch gives it to you!
I even have a person who sends me anonymous Christmas cards... one or two each year to help me reach my goal. In fact, on Friday, November 21 of this year, I received my first two Christmas cards. One from an anonymous friend, and one from the Salvation Army asking for a donation. They are hanging alone in the entryway of my living room. (See picture above.) I love them... and I love the anonymous people who sent them my way!
"Isn't Christmas stressful enough without having to add the pressure of trying to get a certain number of Christmas cards each year?" you may ask.
To which I cheerfully respond, "Isn't it amazing since Christmas can be so stressful that having a little ol' Christmas card in your mailbox melts away all the 'baggage' that can come with this holiday? Isn't it wonderful to hear from people far and near and see pictures of their family in Christmas sweaters and hear wonderful stories about what everyone has been doing? Isn't it the most glorious feeling to have memories flood over you of times spent with that person or family in years past?"
It's a funny, harmless little goal. I like it. It makes me smile. It makes me skip to my mailbox every day beginning the day after Thanksgiving... which in turn makes my neighbors smile. My goal this year is 75. There, I said it again. I will let you know each Monday, Wednesday and Friday beginning December 1 how I'm doing in the card department just so you can share in the excitement!
Don't forget... there's one more goal I'll share with you tomorrow. But until then, we have a City Adventure to plan.
City Adventure - Part 1
In Part 1 of planning a City Adventure, I will answer the following questions:
What is a City Adventure?
A City Adventure is exploring a new city with your family. Actually, it can be a city you have visited before (like Atlanta), but with a City Adventure you will see and do things you have never done before.
How do you pick the City?
Since gas has been so high up until just recently, we look for a city two to four hours from our home. Atlanta is 2 1/2 hours away. Memphis is 3 1/2 to 4 hours away. We look for a metropolitan city that has a lot of different things to offer: entertainment, lodging, restaurants, tours, etc.
How do you afford the City Adventure?
Much like the Family Date, we put $20 a pay period into an envelope marked City Adventure. Mike and I will also put $10 to $20 from Christmas money or birthday money we might receive into the envelope. If he gets a bonus or an income tax refund, we will put $20 to $50 in the envelope. We are trying to save $500 to $600 for five people staying in a city for two nights. This can take nine to ten months, so we make sure we plan carefully to have things to do the whole family will enjoy.
We are looking for lodging that serves continental breakfast. We are also looking for lodging that has a pool, weight room and any other amenities our family would enjoy. (TIP: We stayed at Homewood Suites in Memphis, and they not only served a continental breakfast, but a "light" supper. One night the supper consisted of chicken pot pie, English peas and a salad bar. The second night they had egg rolls, lo mein noodles and a salad bar. Having two meals a day included in our stay at the hotel was wonderful, and we carefully picked the two "special" restaurants where we wanted to eat while in Memphis.)
Also, in any large city you visit, call the Chamber of Commerce well ahead of time and ask them if any of the museums, zoos, aquariums or other places of interest in their city have "free days" or "free times" which are open to the public. It may be the first Tuesday of the month from noon until 5:00 (and it may be two or three things are free on the same day at the same time). If that's the case, you can plan your trip to include that day and pick one or two of the free things to do. If you go to a museum at noon for free and stay two hours, you can probably still make it to the zoo before the 5:00 deadline and maybe have two free hours there, also.
Tune in tomorrow for City Adventure - Part 2. This post will answer two more questions regarding the planning of your adventure.
I hope you have a great Monday, and I'll talk to you tomorrow!
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Friday...
Finally, some new basketball action shots.
The JV team had two 40-minute games Friday, so I thought I would just go ahead and start filming now!
And here's the obligatory Bryant Tuggle pic. He's a HUGE supporter of our baskeball team. Always has been... always will be. Well, until he gets his own driver's license!
Saturday...
We spent the day with the cousins Saturday. Monica, Amy, Roxie and I shopped at Brookwood, ate at Yolo's and went to the movies (Pirates 4). It was a great day, but the best part was our celebrity sighting...
That's right! Will Ferrell! (Please feel free to use your imagination. I know we did!)
Sunday...
Mikie's 50th Family Birthday Celebration! Everyone knows 50 year-old men LOVE the Green Lantern...and their wives really like Ryan Reynolds! (How cool would it be to have your picture on a birthday party plate package? Another goal, perhaps?)
What do you give a 50 year-old guys for his birthday? Cards... filled with money, Ricky Skaggs' concert tickets, a True Grit DVD and a Red Devil's Food Cake with Divinity Icing (from his Mom). It was a very good day!
Lovely Melia gave him the True Grit DVD. (I LOVE that movie!)
And it wouldn't be a birthday without a hug from Roxie!