Florida Trip - Part 1

And so began our adventure....some sleeping, some watching out the window....

some showing some pre-adolescent attitude toward their mother.

The first stop was Atlanta, Georgia to visit a rock.

This wasn't just any ol' rock......

it was HUGE

Ginormous, to borrow a younger generation's word.

 

There was a mile and a quarter trail you could climb up one side of the rock.

We took a sky lift ride to the top instead

and here is the view of Atlanta down below.

Stone Mountain is the name of it.  It is located just east of Atlanta.  It literally is a big rock dropped in the middle of nowhere. 

It is composed of granite that has been used in some pretty famous places.  The granite cut here was the material of choice to build the steps of the capitol building in DC ( I think that was the right building) (ask John, he'll remember). 

Anyway, they don't operate a quarry there anymore.  The ginormous rock  is  now just a tourist attraction.

This is a nice little sculpture carved into the side of Stone Mountain.  This reaches roughly 1/3 of the way up the side of the rock.

Here is a picture of my kids standing in front of a scale model of the horse's nose seen in the picture above.  That ought to give you an idea of the scale of the whole thing.

After admiring rocks, it was on to tour a civil war museum.  This worked great since the kids just finished studying the civil war in school.

After we expanded our knowledge of history, it was on to stretch our legs on the ropes courses.  The kids absolutely loved doing this.  In fact we went back for a second round after lunch.

They had a zip line that all of them tried and loved.

Here is emily zipping her way down the hill.

Grant did great.  He hung on for dear life.

John tackled and conquered the rock climbing wall. He scampered clear to the top so easily.  It confirmed to me that he is a little squirrelly!

Here goes grant for another round on the ropes course, dragging dad with him.

Emily and Grace on a different part of the course.

By this time everyone was hot and tired so we went to see the ducks.

These aren't the feathery kind of duck.  They are military vehicles used during the wars that have been converted for tourist use.  They were very interesting.

 Yep, that's a life vest.  We went for a duck ride.

Yep, THOSE would be duck bills.

The kind people who work at Stone Mountain passed a pair out to EVERYONE who rode the duck.

YEP, they would be just as annoying as you would imagine them to be.

 Yep the kids on the duck blew on the kazoo/duck bills the ENTIRE TRIP.

Advil, anyone?

This would be Grace driving the duck.

Grant too.

I am not sure how they get by letting kids drive these things, but the kids had a blast doing it, so who really cares?

John drove too, but Emily politely declined.  Scaredy cat!!

Come back later to see Part 2 of vacation.  I've got to go help mom sort pictures.....

right after I figure out how to get these goggles off......

Bye!!

O and P

B is for baseball which my boy began playing.  His first game was tonight and they won.  He belongs to the Yankees this year.  I really like his coach so far.  He seems to really care about the kids as much or more than winning.  To me, that makes him a winner.

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Observations and Ponderings

Why is a bird in the hand worth two in the bush?  Does the one in the hand cost twice as much?

Why is there a bird building its nest in my dryer vent?  Do dryer vents look like tree limbs?

Why does a drive-thru ATM have braille instructions posted on it?  Do blind people drive?

Why does sand stick to things so stubbornly until very moment you DON'T WANT it to fall off?  I think I have a pound of sand in the car floorboards.

Why do I after nine years living in this house STILL reach to the wrong side of the bathroom doorway for the lightswitch? 

Why do I not change Grace's clock in her room when I know it is exactly 24 minutes slow?  Why do I continue to just look at it and add 24 minutes each time?

Why can I not find Grace's glasses?  Have you seen them? 

Why can I think of something important then not remember it by the time I get to the memo board to write it down? 

Why would a three year old boy throw his sister's dollhouse pieces into the trash can where I just deposited a week's worth of rabbit poo? 

Why does it not seem gross to sort through rabbit poo looking for dollhouse pieces after eight years of changing (and analyzing)(come on all you mothers have done it) poopy diapers? 

Who said M & M's for breakfast was unhealthy?  Three year olds seem OK with it.

Why does beating my ten year old at ping pong become so difficult after a couple long islands? 

Does beating a ten year old at ping pong seem all that important?  (not after a few long islands!)

Where do you find closure?  According to Grant, it can be bought at Kroger!!

Why does my three year old KNOW the word "closure"?

Home

We made it!!!

After a LONG drive, we got home around two o'clock this morning (Sunday).  We left Sarasota about nine thirty Saturday morning.  Between snowbirds and spring breakers (BETH!!) it was a bumper to bumper nightmare getting up I-75 to Atlanta.  From there it wasn't so bad.  It was a much longer trip than David or I or the kids wanted, but no one really wanted to pull over for another night either so we kept plugging along.  Lots of fender benders along the way slowing things down.

We had a great time.  I cannot wait to catch up and get some pictures downloaded. 

One point of significance.  We set out for Florida with a four year old girl

but for the life of me, we could not find her when it was time to come home.  All we could find was a cute little five year old. 

We brought her instead!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRACE

We've loved you since the day we welcomed you home five short years ago!!

Flippin' Fun

Weekday fun at home.......

And the second act.......

How many times could you do this??

SHhhhhhhhhhhh

Don't tell mom they were doing this.  She doesn't let them flip over the couch.

Grantisms

Just a couple fast ones.....I'm running out of time....

Mom:  Why did you spit on Grace?

Grant:  I didn't.  It fell from my mouth!  (I'm still working on the projecting blame thing)









Grant (after exiting the bathroom):  My penis said it was going to pee so I took it.      (ummm, yeah)

Tumble Time

Who ever said............

beds were made

for sleeping upon

must have never

been a child.

Or at least not a child who liked to do flips!

These were at the farm a couple weeks ago.  All four of the kids use the beds for everything from forts to flips.  Sometimes I wish I could be a kid  again and join in the fun.

Florida

Day four at the beach....we have been having a great time. We got into Sarasota Saturday afternoon to find the weather warm and beautiful. We enjoyed our first sunset (and only so far...it's been cloudy every evening since)

Grace and Grant got reacquainted with the beach since this is Grant's first time on the beach and Grace's second. The last time here she was only eleven months old. They have had fun playing in the sand and in the pool. John and Emily have been busy making new friends and playing games in and out of the water with them. They are enjoying their time away from home and time on the beach too.

David seems to have slowed rather quickly this year too. Usually he takes about five days to slow down to "relax" mode...this year, I think he came prepared to relax. This is the first day he's even had his computer on since getting here. Thus, this is the first day I've posted anything since being here too.

Everyone is having a great time. Pictures tonight. I've got to download some. My camera card is FULL!!

Back to the sand and sun.

Bye!!

Beautiful Belles in Blue Bedsheets

Who ever said that bed sheets

could not be stylish

obviously never met

Grace

 This child will turn anything into a dress.

She found this old sheet at the farm.  It already had two holes in it.  She walked around with her head and one arm sticking out so I obliged her by cutting another hole for her other arm.  That was all she needed.  She had a blast flitting around in her new outfit.

Daddy

  Daddy arrived home in time the other evening to read to his little man.  Grant loves his dad.

Dad loves his Grant too.

This little girl has him wrapped pretty tight too though.

She can flash a smile and pretty much get what she wants from her dad.

I guess that's how it is supposed to be.

I was NEVER that spoiled though by MY DAD!!!!!!

(smile, wink)