Fun times in Atlanta

Yesterday, we headed to Atlanta because we had four tickets to the Atlanta Hawks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder game thanks to Clint's bidding at the St. Peter's auction. After looking into the area we were going to be staying in, I saw two others attractions I thought would be fun for us to visit. So, we packed up and Summer, my dad, myself and Clint headed south. My dad and Summer napped a little on the way down, but that was interrupted by a stop at Red Lobster for lunch. Summer wanted clam chowder and popcorn shrimp, so what do you think she got? Yep, both. Of course, I helped her finish them both too which I wish I could've resisted, but I could not. After that, we were on our way to downtown Atlanta.

After checking into our hotel. which turned out to only be one block from the arena where the game was held, we walked across Centennial Park heading to the World of Coca-Cola. We came across two playgrounds while we were walking through the park. Summer just had to stop and play. We had a little extra time, so she monkeyed around for a while. She did the monkey bars, several slides and lots of climbing. When I was finally able to pry her away, she asked if we could come back after we did the soda factory. I said we'd have to see if we had enough time before the game.

At the factory, which Clint and I visited with Amanda six or so years ago, we looked at lots of Coca-Cola memorabilia from years past. Summer was only focused on when we were going to get to taste test the different sodas which in hindsight I wish I would not have told her beforehand. Then, maybe she would've been a little more patient with the history/memorabilia part. She did enjoy looking at the different machines they use in the bottling process. There was a really cool polar bear you could have your picture taken with at the beginning of the self tour. Summer thought it was a robot, but I'm pretty sure there was a human in there. It was very silly and made us smile numerous times whiles we were waiting our turn. Of course my camera died right after that picture. There was a 4D movie with moving seats which Summer and I both enjoyed. My dad and Clint got sucked into the sampling part first and missed out on this neat experience. When we came out of the theater and found them, Clint had already picked out his favorite - grape Fanta. He insisted on Summer trying it first. Then he tried to get my to try the nastiest one - Beverly - which is an Italian soda. I had been there before so I knew what he was up to. After filling up our bellies with carbonation, we left through the gift shop. Guess who wanted a souvenir? She tried to get her daddy to buy her a polar bear a few times with no luck. On our way out, we came across some pins which I told her she could pick from if she really had to get something. She ended up getting one that said something like give a coke and a smile. I can't remember exactly right now. But, she was happy and so was I.

It was too late for another visit to the playground when we finally got out of there. We needed to eat dinner and get to the ballgame. We settled on the closest and fastest thing, Subway, which Summer does not eat (at least I've never seen her eat a sub). Her daddy said she could just have cookies and that suited her fine. She had a chocolate chip cookie and apparently that was enough for her. At the game, we got a bottomless popcorn and Coke. To be honest, it was the worst popcorn I've had. It definitely couldn't compare to the movies or even the stuff we got at the Lady Mocs game. I thought maybe it was just a fluke, but after a refill, I realized it just was not good--very plain tasting. Summer spotted the cotton candy man shortly after the game started and just had to have some. However, he did not come back to our section until half time so she had to wait to get some. Our seats were pretty good, about seven rows up from the floor. She thought they were not high enough because the Chic-fil-a cows that parachuted from the ceiling at one point in the game never got to seat that were as low as ours. She and I cheered the Hawks on throughtout the game, and she actually impressed me with her increased level of excitement from the Lady Mocs game. At that game, she said my cheering hurt her ears, but this time, she was right there with me. I wonder if I have a future cheerleader on my hands? Her daddy hopes not, but I just want her to do something that she enjoys. Only time will tell......

After the game, we headed back to our rooms and wound down until we all fell asleep. After a decent night's sleep and a yummy breakfast at the hotel, we headed back across Centennial Park for another stop at the playground while we waited for the aquarium to open. She had a blast all over again. I'm so happy that they had something cool like that for kids. It was a great surprise for her and I both.

The Georgia Aquarium was pretty cool. It is set up quite different than the Tennessee Aquarium, having several different sections in the building rather than flowing exhibits where you don't have to decide what to see next. The dolphin show was entertaining, although Clint feel asleep due to his last of interest in the musical theatrics that accompanied the performing dolphins. Summer and I definitely did our share of oohing and aahing. There were several exhibits that I thought were very cool, including getting to touch sea stars, sea urchins, live shrimp, and sea anemones. They also have shark and ray petting, but that was nothing new for me. The lion fish and whale shark exhibits were both pretty cool in my opinion. Summer liked the play area they had with tunnels and slides. Of course in her mind, she did not get to play on them long enough, but we had to get to the dolphin show. It was good times for sure, but Summer got hungry about half way through it so she was not in the mood to stay in linger any longer than it took to see it all.

I'm not sure what the best part of the weekend was, but it was good times with people we love. What else could we ask for?

Vegas vacation

Summer was excited to go see her family in Las Vegas a few weeks ago. She got to see her Nono and Nona which is a treat that doesn't happen often. Her Nona does send her cards throughout the year via email which she really enjoys receiving. We were treated to a wonderful buffet dinner several times, and it wasn't until the last time that I realized they served free wine and beer while dining. Just my luck! Summer loved their orange chicken and fried chicken legs. My favorite was the pasta bar where you could pick the ingredients and they were cooked to order. Clint and my dad couldn't resist all of the meat they had to offer. We left there stuffed and happy every time.

One evening we went to see a few outdoor shows on the strip. The first was at the Treasure Island where we watched the girl pirates outsmart the boy pirates. It was the first time we have been to the show (at least Summer and I) although we go to Vegas every year. We also went to see the volcano erupt at the Mirage. This was Summer's favorite of the two. She even made a little friend while we were there. One this we skipped this year was the Freemont St. experience in downtown Las Vegas. We'll get to it next year though.
Summer and her cousins enjoyed playing together in the backyard. Mia taught Summer how to do the monkey bars which she was proud to show off to anyone who would watch. Lexie dared to swing on the swings despite that being how she hurt herself a few weeks earlier. They danced along with songs on Just Dance Summer Party on the Wii. Summer found a new favorite song when she won on a song she had never done before. She still was not a fan of playing against me. It seems that I win too much for her taste. If I play with the remote in my left hand, it is usually a lot closer and she can even beat me. Shhh!!! Don't tell her!

The kids built magnetic structures a few times. Of course, no one would pose with just a smile on their face. Silly faces were in order! They were followed by destruction of the pyramid by Mia's clasped hands. They really think they are funny, and I guess they are. They are cute to say the least!

Our last full day there, we spent time at the Adventuredome at Circus Circus. We were lucky to get to visit it this year since it seems they close it every year the week after the Superbowl for maintenance. Last year, we only got to visit the arcade and circus acts. We got wristbands for Summer, Amanda, Lexie and myself and happily headed off in search of our first ride. Summer was big enough to ride the bumper cars with me, but Lexie was not as lucky. They tried to ride the frog hopper, but it wasn't working at that time and they had to get back off. So, we moved ahead and found a mine train roller coaster ride for younger kids. They were both smiling when the ride started, but by the time it came around, Lexie was not looking too happy. With only one arm to hold on with, which she was not using, the ride was a bit too jerky for her and they ended up stopping the ride so she and another kid could get off. The next ride was a school bus that went up and around. It was perfect for Lexie, but a bit too slow for Summer. She did enjoy the airplanes, carousel and balloon ferris wheel rides. Later, they revisited the frog hopper and it was working. We rode to our hearts content (at least the adults) and then headed to eat at a Mexican restaurant with Nona and Nono. I think Summer could've ridden a while longer, but she had already done all the rides she was big enough for so it wasn't too hard to get her out of there.
Another highlight of the trip was Summer getting her name carved in one of the trees in front of Nona's house. Nona had told her she could do it the year before, but we never got around to it. This trip, Summer made sure that it was done. Her daddy and Paw-Paw did a lot of the work. She loved climbing the tree and even gave the other climbing side to Lexie although she was not able to climb due to her collar bone being broken. A lot of good memories were made on the trip, and I hope we won't have to wait a whole year to go back. But, we just might.

Where has the summer gone?

I can't believe it's already the middle of July and there is only a little more than a month before Summer starts kindergarten. The fourth of July was spent with friends in the pool, hot tub, and on the slip-n-slide. Summer got to spend time with her friends Cameron, Ty and Katie. She also spent some time with her cousins at a much treasured sleepover. The older boys shot off the fireworks and the kids enjoyed sparklers. We borrowed a boat which of course came with a scandal and a little bit of fun. Summer, however, is not a fan of boats. She says they do not go fast enough for her and there is nothing to do on them so she doesn't care to ride them. I hope she will lose this attitude with time, but that is really up to her, not me. Her daddy and I had some fun times back in the day when we had our big yellow boat. Maybe if we still had that one, she would change her tune because it would go plenty fast! At one point on one of our excursions, I asked how much gas we had. That set off an alarm inside Summer's head and she was ready to go back home. She never wavered from her cautious feeling about running out of gas, but she did not freak out. She just kept telling me she was ready to go home. I am hoping this means she will not be a huge daredevil, although I do hope she will be a little of a risk taker.


Summer and I went to Lake Winnie a few weeks ago, and she was super excited to ride the rides. There were some rides she was not tall enough for and that bummed her a little, but she had fun on the ones she could ride. She barely met the 42" minimum for some of the rides, coming in at 42.5" herself. She needs to grow 5.5 inches before next summer to be tall enough to ride the bigger rides. I'm not going to hold my breathe on that one. There is one ride that goes up in the air higher than anything else in the park and then free falls. She rode it twice and I must admit I was a little scared to ride it the 2nd time, but I did. Her favorite ride was the water slide which we rode 6 times in a row. She really wanted to go on the cannonball roller coaster, but her legs are just not long enough. On a few of the rides (Tilt-a-whirl and scrambler) it was all I could do not to throw up. I'm pretty bummed about this because she is only five and we have years of riding rides ahead of us. Oh well, at least I know now to take something just in case. We both had a blast together there anyways. She would not ride the carousel though. I guess maybe she is just not interested in such a slow ride it when there are other rides around. However, if we went to Coolidge Park, I know she would want to ride it.

We went on a family adventure to Wilderness at the Smokies last week. The water slides were fun for us all, but Clint got dizzy when he went down backwards on one of the slides. I really think we are going to have to start taking Dramamine before we go on these types of excursions. One of the water slides was too big for her to ride, but she kept asking again and again to ride it. There were 6 or so other slides she could go down so it was not like she was really missing out too much. Thank goodness she grew an inch in the past few months. It seems like 42" is a common height requirement for rides. She loved the wave pools too and would ride the waves into the bank of the pool. The lazy river was also a hit and we went around and around on it. The resort had a pottery painting place which we visited twice in our three days there. She picked an angel to paint the first time we went. The second time we just painted a few ornaments and knickknacks. She was in heaven being the craft lover she is. She wakes up most days asking to do crafts so this was just icing on the cake for this trip. When we left the resort, we headed to a rafting excursion. She was not too excited about it and sat in the front of the raft sucking on her ring pop the whole time. She did not get out and swim when the rest of us did, but that was okay. The water felt awesome and she missed out, but that was her choice. She crashed on the way home, but woke before we made it back. Of course at that point, the "how much longer" began. :) It was only about another hour before we made it back and headed to our favorite sushi place. We were all in heaven then.

We are loving the summer and not looking forward to its end and the beginning of kindergarten. I am not ready to be away from my baby that much, but it's almost time. I hope the rest of the summer drags by or at least brings us many more fun times together.

Paradise is gone

Our month long vacation has come to an end to mine and Summer's dismay. Neither of us were ready to leave, but after a long, long, long drive yesterday we are home. The kids were ready to be home 5 minutes into the trip which I thought was a bad sign, but we did not have any breakdowns the entire trip. Lexie did wake up from her 2nd nap crying about her ankle. The last few days we were there the bugs came out and ate us all up, her especially. So we've all had our share of itchiness the past few days. We stopped twice to eat and made a couple of pit stops at rest areas. It took us a little over 11 hours and we were lucky not to hit too much traffic when we passed through Atlanta. The car is still not unpacked, but I will get around to it eventually.

There were lots of adventures on the trip, and we all managed to avoid getting sunburned. The girls and I came home with great tans thanks to the beautiful Florida weather and good skin pigmentation. It was in the 80's the first 3 weeks and the 90's the last week. I think it only rained 2 or 3 times the whole months and that was not for very long. A lot of the days were spent in the pool and hot tub. The girls were less thrilled about the beach than I was, but they did have some good times playing in the sand, collecting shells, and building castles. The best times for them were at sunset when it was not too hot.

We took a ferry to Caledesi Island which turned out to be a 45 minutes hike north from the beach where we stayed. With the kids, I am glad we took the ferry instead. We swam in the ocean for a bit before we ate a picnic lunch at some tables they had shaded with palm trees. Then some of us hunted for pretty conch, whelk and cockle shells which were more prevalent on the island than where we were staying. The kids tried to play on the playground with Memaw and Nanny but the equipment was too hot. So, they played in the showers and sand instead.

Summer got to parasail on two different occasions. The first time she and I went with my friend Christina. She was a little nervous about doing it, but I reassured her and once we were up in the air she was all smiles loving the ride. When they dipped us down to get our feet wet, she raised her feet so she wouldn't get wet. On the way back into the bay to dock the boat, the guy jokingly told us we were going skydiving next. She asked me what that was and I told her jumping out of an airplane with a parachute. She asked if we would land in the ocean and I told her no we would land on the ground. She was ready to go! LOL She wasn't too disappointed when I broke it to her that we weren't really going to do that. ;) The 2nd time she went with her Auntie Erin and cousin Jonathan and again raised her feet so they wouldn't get wet.

On our next to last day, we headed to the pool to try out the water slide which was closed every other time we tried to go during the month. It was newly installed so they were still working out the kinks most of the month so it would be safe for riders and no one would get injured. To be able to go down it, the kids all had to take a swim test and swim all the way across the pool. Summer was intimidated at first and did not make it the first go around. I don't know if it is because I was beside her, but every few strokes she would grab the side of the pool. I knew she could do it, but she did not believe in herself. So, she gave up and just swam around enjoying the pool anyway. About an hour and a half after we got there, she got up the nerve to try again with Memaw coaching her through it. She swam across like a champ and it made my heart so proud to see her do it. Her first time down the slide was great and she did not land in the water the wrong way or get any water up her nose like I worried she would. She absolutely loved it! She and her cousins went over and over again. They could've stayed longer, but after 3 hours at the pool we headed back to the house.

We made several return trips to the playground and pier. On our last night, Summer wanted to go back to the pier for one last souvenir. But, they were not set up yet when we got there so we ended up going to a shop where she had seen something she liked before. She looked the little store over really good before picking out her treasure - a box full of shells which included a pink star fish. That was the clincher for her. It made me smile because she is a girl after my own heart compelled by the beauty of shells. We both came home with lots of those treasures from the ocean. Can't wait to get crafty with them and I know she will be all over that too!

Jet Lag **edited

Summer and Lexie finally slept in this morning (later than 8:30), something that did NOT happen on vacation. They were both up before 7:30 every morning. They even made it to one 6 a.m. walk on the beach with me and Paw-Paw. It was fun although the stroller had to be carried across the very wide beach to the packed sand at the shoreline in order to be pushed. Paw-Paw toted Lexie while I hauled the stroller. When we got to the sand, it was a nice stroll down the rock and shell spotted beach. Summer is officially following in my footsteps as a shell collector. That makes me smile. It really is not worth very much to have boxes full of shells, but the hunt is sometimes addictive and fulfilling. Luckily, I have learned to control some of my picking up urges and don't bring home huge bags of them anymore. On our walk, Lexie asked for a shell so I picked her out two. When we got to the playground, which just so happens to be on the beach, she had taken a little bite off of one of them and was chewing it up. Then, she wouldn't spit it out. Kids. After we got the slides dried off, the girls were ready to play in the chilly morning air. Summer loves to climb all over the equipment and slide down the slides on her feet and other "non-normal" ways. She is not very fearful, and I think gymnastics has given her some confidence in her abilities. Lexie always loves the swings the best. On the way home, we stopped at Starbucks and got a morning beverage. Summer had to have something, so she got a bottle of mocha frappuccino. My dad and I got a caramel mocchiato. Yum!


After a big home cooked breakfast, we showered up and headed to Malibu. We paid to park at the pier and then walked down the beach. After only a few minutes on the beach, the girls shoes and socks were both wet and needed to be taken back to the van. I know it's crazy, but I didn't see that one coming. Then we took a leisurely stroll, looking for shells and chasing birds. Lexie really wanted to pet one, but soon discovered that they do not want her to pet them. Summer learned that lesson a few vacations ago. I still have not learned to stop daydreaming about living in one of the houses we walk by, but it takes longer for some of us than others. We walked to the end of the pier and took a look around the gift shop. There was a beautiful great dane that the girls loved. They gave it lots of attention, chasing it around the store until they were scolded and asked to not torture the dog. Good times. They both got a shark tooth which is probably lost by now. I think they were actually in my possession last, but I can't remember where I stashed them. As long as Summer doesn't remember getting it, I'm OK. But, her not remembering something would be completely uncommon and out of the norm so I better get to looking for them. :) We had lunch on the pier which was lovely for everyone but Summer whose pants were a little wet from the ocean. Next time, I'll have to pick out what she wears. She has become so independent in dressing herself that I rarely question what she wears. She does sometimes like for me to do it for her, but those days are getting rare. On a side note, she is also going to the bathroom more by herself and not needing me to wipe her. Usually it is just poops that she needs me, but sometimes, like during the night, she wants me to help with either. OK, so back to the vacation.

On our second day in California, we went to Disneyland. It was awesome and the kids were so excited to ride the rides. The lines were not too bad. The weather was perfect. As soon as we got there, the characters were taking their places to pose with tourists. We got pics with Minnie, Mickey & Donald in the first 10 minutes after our arrival. We started the day with a ride on the Astro Orbiter where the girls each got to control their own plane. Then we headed to the Mad Tea Party which was Summer's favorite ride at Disney World last year. They rode Alice in Wonderland, Dumbo, King Arthur Carrousel (several times), Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Peter Pan's Flight, Pinocchio's Daring Journey, Snow White's Scary Adventures. Casey Jr. Circus Train was the last ride before lunch. After lunch we headed to Toon Town and visited Goofy, Mickey's, and Minnie's houses. Lucky for us, both Minnie and Mickey were home for pictures although Lexie missed Mickey due to a temper tantrum when leaving his house to go into his production barn. Summer rode her first roller coaster of the day, Gadget's Go Coaster, and fell in love. She was so excited the whole ride and had to ride it again with her dad after we went together. Last year, she wouldn't get any where near the kiddie coaster at Disney World, but this year she loved it. After that, we rode two more coasters which she also loved - Splash Mountain was her favorite. We finished up the day with Pirates of the Caribbean and Tarzan's Treehouse. On our way out of the park, the girls picked out their souvenirs. Summer got Minnie dressed as a fairy and Lexie picked a 2011 Mickey Mouse. To our surprise, neither girl fell asleep on the way home, although Summer almost did. It was a long, exhausting day, but so fun and one I hope they will remember.

The rest of the trip was spent visiting Hollywood and Venice beach. The girls played in the sand and loved mixing the ocean water with sand in buckets. Summer even got Lexie to try her "soup." No one else would take her up on it though. Despite the freezing cold ocean water, Summer loved playing in the surf and jumping over small waves. She and I would run hand in hand towards the incoming waves and then turn and run back towards the sand. Our sand castle turned out on the dumpy side, as usual. I don't know what it is, but I really haven't been able to build an awesome sand castle in a long time. I remember building some pretty good ones as a child.

We hit the playground a few more times. Summer wanted to throw a party one night, but even after making invitations and handing them out, she did not get around to it. They read, "Party 2nite Rock on 7:00." She made one for her dad, Paw-Paw and Amanda. I told her Amanda had the party without us after we went to bed, but she informed me that she did not turn in her ticket so she didn't. LOL Our last night we went to the Santa Monica pier, my main inspiration for the trip. Summer again loved the rides. She wanted to go on the roller coaster twice, but the line was too long. She really loved the scrambler and said it was her favorite. Lexie enjoyed the ferris wheel ride with Summer and Paw-Paw. We didn't make it to all the rides, but Summer doesn't know that. It was late and we were all tired and ready to go to bed....except her. Of course, she could ride forever. Oh to be a kid again...

I'll have to update on the first part of our trip later. It's late and time for bed. Summer's got her 3 month CT scan in the morning. Praying for NED!!! I haven't started worrying yet, but it does set in once the scan is over and we are waiting on the results. No spots please!

Happy New Year and Travels

When Summer heard me wish someone that a day or so before the new year, she asked me why. It was cute, and I explained what it meant to her. She is always excited about holidays. They mean something exciting is bound to happen. I can't blame her though, it is fun to have special days in our lives. Not that every day isn't special, but some definitely seem more special than others.

We spent a few days in Gatlinburg to visit some of the attractions on her Give Kids the World Passport which will expire in March. It's hard to believe that it has been almost a year since her Make-A-Wish trip to Disney World. Time sure flies when you grow up. I remember as a kid thinking it all went by so slowly. Our first stop after lunch at Ruby Tuesdays and an energy kick from Starbucks, was Ripley's Old MacDonald Farm. I was surprised when we showed up and it was a putt-putt place, but it was all good, and free, so no complaints were heard from us. Summer did a pretty good job getting through the course. She was most excited about the ramps they build for the balls to go down and would drop her ball over and over again. There were a couple of holes like that. On one, her ball got wet because it goes through water. She wasn't too excited about that, but got over it when we moved on to the next hole. She really wanted to go back again on our trip, but the other course we could go to was closed until the weekend. Afterwards, we left through the arcade and had to cash in a few bucks for tokens. After her 8 tokens were gone, she was ready to cash her tickets in for a prize. Trixie went on a little potty break while she chose what she wanted. Oh yeah, we brought the new puppy along for the trip. She was snuggled up in the red purse I was wearing the whole game. It was definitely an experience wearing her around for two days. I'm not sure if she got motion sickness the first day, but she had some "issues" when we got back to the hotel room. Luckily, she was back to normal the next day so no worries there. She is snuggled up in my lap now. Oh what a cuddly thing she is! It is kind of sad, but I think she prefers me to Summer at least when it comes to snuggling. It must be that I don't fly her through the air or bounce her around the house all day. LOL Her intentions are good though and she knows she needs to be gentle with the puppy. She's much better than Lexie who, although she doesn't realize it, really puts the death grip on. Her playing with the puppy is definitely a situation that needs to be supervised!

Next, we headed into Gatlinburg to get a hotel room and see some more of the attractions included in her passport. Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum was a much greater hit than Ripley's Moving Theater, which neither Clint or Summer enjoyed. Trixie either for that matter. She woke up and climbed out of the purse. We all got off after the first movie - a sled ride. The theater spit snow/water at you along the way so it wasn't just the moving they disliked. Oh well, like I said, the museum made up for it. It was one of the best attractions Ripley's has in my opinion.We also went to their Mirror Maze and The Guinness Book of World Records (my least favorite). The mirror maze was fun for us all and one of Summer's favorite things. At least she said it was before we went to Ober Gatlinburg. Then we did so much there she said she couldn't decide, but that she liked everything we did on the trip. I'm sure she wasn't including the moving theater though. We also went to the Ripley's Aquarium which had some pretty cool things our hometown aquarium doesn't have. Summer really enjoyed it; I think we all did.

Once we got up the mountain via the tram, our first stop was the wildlife exhibit which had 3 black bears, 3 otters, some snakes, a snapping turtle, several species of owls, a gold eagle, a falcon that was blueish purple, fish, raccoons, lizards, skunks, and squirrels. Summer enjoyed watching the otters and turtles eat their lunch. We even saw lizards eating crickets. Next stop was the carousel. Then ice skating. Summer was a little wary going into it seeing as how she has never done it before. When she got her skates on, she wasn't feeling any better. She quickly realized that walking in them was not easy, nor was skating. But, before we got off the ice, she was a little more confident and could at least go a few feet without falling. It was rough on my back trying to keep her from falling by holding her hands, but it was worth it to help her out. Once she accidentally did a twirl, and she wanted to repeat it over and over. That was easier said than done though. Our ice adventure ended when she fell and hit her head. After that, we talked about how you have to practice and keep trying to learn things sometimes. I can't say she left there gung-ho on trying it again, but I'm sure in a few years she will get the hang of it if she tries. She actually has an upcoming skating party so we need to pull out her training skates and get to rolling.

After we refueled with pizza, burgers, fries and ice cream, we were on our way to the chair lift. Yes, she ordered ice cream as her main course, but she surprised me by eating a piece of my personal pan pizza. So, it was not a complete junk fest. Or, maybe it was. :) It was nice that we all three could ride the chair lift together. She rode in my lap which she may be too big to do next time. On the way up the mountain, we looked for things that people had dropped - flip flops, gloves, scarves, etc. It was pretty chilly and when we got to the top, and Summer finally agreed that gloves were a good idea. Her daddy and I were already on board with that one. We snapped a few shots and headed back down to the car where Trixie was waiting on us. She had wiggled her way out of her sweater which I've learned is no big surprise. Summer picked out two outfits for her while we were shopping to help keep her warm should we venture outdoors. Unfortunately, Trixie doesn't like them nearly as much as we do, but we'll work on that.

Happy New Year! Let's all toast to many safe travels for us in the year ahead!

Pirates at the beach

Last week we went Tybee Island with our best buddies and best babysitters. It was so much fun. Summer actually loved the ocean for the first time. It probably helped that Willow was running right up to the incoming waves. The waves were pretty huge though so the girls did not really go out in the ocean. One day, we did get Summer to go out and jump the waves before they crashed. She had a great time out there with her Memaw and Nanny. I was so proud of her which really isn't uncommon anyway. The girls played in the sand. Summer built a mound and stuck some sticks and feathers in it. We also made a little sand castle with the our beach toy supplies. The water in the pool was pretty cool, but the kids had fun in it. There were little squabbles over floats which Summer tried to mediate. It was neat to see her trying to accomodate everyone and keep the peace. In the mornings, she and I walked on the beach to collect shells and watch the sunrise. She wanted to find big shells which didn't happen until the last morning. We did find lots of sand dollars and other beautiful shells. She wasn't too big on picking up the normal looking shells that were "everywhere." Instead, she prefered the multicolored pieces of shells. She kept talking about the art she was going to make with them. She plans on keeping some for our family and selling some. I wonder if she really may be a great artist one day.

The girls dressed up as pirates for the pirate festival. Summer's costume was completly adorable. I don't think she could've looked more precious. Summer spotted a booth selling rings at the festival and wanted one. I couldn't say no. She picked one that is similar to my wedding ring which made me glad I decided to let her have one. I guess she wants to be like me. I wonder how long that will last.

The island has an awesome playground and one morning we took all 5 kids. The girls really loved the seesaw. I even took a turn on it and enjoyed it too. I guess I'll never grow up, at least as long as I have kids to keep me young.

Family reunion leads to more fun times

I was greeted from behind by Summer and my mom when we arrived at the airport. I knew she was going to try to scare me because my mom told me and she still got me. She jumped into my arms and gave me lots of hugs. She was very bubbly and it made a long day of flying much better. I carried her in my arms as we went to pick up the bags. She was not ready for me to put her down when we got there, but I gave her the task of helping her daddy with the bags so she happily ran off with him. I talked to my mom and it sounded like she was a very busy girl while I was gone although she was anxious for my arrival home.

She opted out of the church water balloon activity they had for the kids Wednesday night. My mom said she didn't want any part of it once she saw what they were doing. Most of the kids are much bigger than her so I can understand why she would be intimidated. She's in preschool, and I think the kids range up to 5th or 6th grade. Somehow she always manages to stay right by Memaw's side whenever she takes her to church. But, I can't blame her. My mom does rock. She took off work yesterday to take Summer hiking on Raccoon Mountain and spend the day with her so Nanny could go back to work. Summer enjoyed the hike and was proud that she could walk for so long.

Her picture was still hanging at the Taste of Hamilton Place, and she was still part of the 3 words video. She saw Dr. Gratias and Miss Ashley as well as a few of the nurses from the clinic. My mom said she wore her "This girl rocks" shirt and Dr. G was quick to agree. She also ran into some of her cancer buddies and other people she knew. I'm sure it did not take much for her to sway Memaw and Nanny to take her to the playground after they enjoyed some of the food. She has a way with them. I guess she really has a way with everyone though.

Lately, I think she has been trying to manipulate me into not taking her to school. Either that or she just really doesn't know how much it upsets me when she weeps and clings to me when we part at her classroom door. Last night as we were getting ready for bed, she went on and on about how she doesn't like it and that it is not fun. She definitley expressed to me that she doesn't think her life will be lacking if she doesn't go back, but said nothing about being away from me being the reason this time. Whenever we pick her up, she seems like she had a perfectly fine time. I guess there is a little of an attachment issue that was formed when she was diagnosed with cancer. Maybe it was there before then though. Anyhow, it is not fun to hear these things come out of her mouth, but I know it is good for her to go and learn as well as socialize with other kids. Really, I think I am still trying to convince myself though. Is home-preschooling really so bad? We have the workbooks. We have several classes/activites a week and also regular playdates with a variety of friends. Just wait, I'll have myself talked into homeschooling when kindergarten comes around. LOL Well, hopefully not. I would really prefer for her to get the best education in the most stimulating environment there available. But, these drama filled drop-offs are going to have to come to an end.

I almost dropped her off at the door today. When I pulled in the car port, after waiting for several other cars to drop their kids off, she begged me please not to drop her off there. I told her she had to agree not to cry or she will be dropped off there next time. She agreed. Well, today was her lucky day. Or mine, I'm not sure. When we got to the classroom, the lights were off and there was no one in sight. That's when I found out there was a field trip today. I had originally thought it was not until Thursday, but with her missing last Thursday I didn't get the reminder memo. Oops! Lucky for us both, who were neither one ready to be apart from each other, we got to remain together and headed back to the car. We followed the teacher to the apple orchard which was almost an hour away. I know Summer has never seen so many apples in her life. When we were on the hay ride, I asked her how many she thought there were. She said, "80." Not quite. I told her maybe 80 million, and she just agreed. The kids got to see how they sort the apples (by hand) and get them clean and shiny. They also learned that they use automatic hand pickers to harvest the fruit - hands. There was a huge refrigerator where they stored the apples and cider ready to be shipped to local grocers that the kids got to explore. The story of Johnny Appleseed was told as the kids sat around on a big rug. It was the perfect first field trip even though it was unexpected. The sun was a little warm at times, but there were blessed moments where the shade made everything okay again. I didn't have my camera which was disappointing, but one of the kids moms captured her after she and Emma begged a little boy to sit between them. The only thing that put a damper on the morning was the fact that I thought my car was leaking gas because the fuel gauge decided to stop working. After stopping for gas twice and hearing me make numerous phone calls to her daddy, Summer was very concerned with what was going on. But, I'm pretty sure it was just the gauge after finding out from someone else at the gas station that it was just my A/C dripping and not gas. So, her fears and mine were put to rest as we headed to trade out cars.

Summer rode her bike today. She braved the hill in front of our building while I rode beside her on my bike. She was a little worried that she wouldn't be able to make it up. She still uses the training wills a lot and you could here them scuffing against the ground as she teetered back and forth. She got really excited when she would start going "fast" (in her eyes anyway). After one trip down the bridge and back, she became the leader and had to turn to make sure I was keeping up with her. LOL One time she turned a little too hard and crashed, but thankfully, her knee pads kept her from getting scuffed when she landed on them. She actually did a great job managing the fall and got back on and pedaled away. She was still not confident in her ability to come back down the hill in front of our building, but she managed to do it with a little help from me.

Bedtime came early tonight unlike last night when she couldn't get enough of me or me playing with her. I even agreed to play Hannah Montana last night which was big for me and she knew it. I have never hid my dislike for that game. We skipped games tonight and opted for books. Tonight, she picked out "Go, Dog, Go," "Piggy goes to the doctor," and "The Berenstein Bears Go to the doctor." You would think she still went to the doctor a lot the way she still likes books about going there. I guess they are very real to her though. I doubt she is ever excited when we actually do go to the doctor, but these books are something she can directly relate to. I'm so glad to be celebrating another Childhood Cancer Awareness month, but this time with a much more healthy little girl. I just love tucking her in at night and hope for thousands more of these nights to come. You never know when it could be your child who is taken away in the night to sing with the angels. My life experience has led me to believe that it is important to give them all the love you can today and everyday. I thank god for my little angel on Earth and every day that I get to spend with her.

Camping in the desert

Summer is thoroughly enjoying our Vegas family vacation. She's been having a great time with cousins she didn't really know she had. We went camping at Sand Hollow State Park in Utah with them. The kids loved playing in the water and sand all day. Luckily, none of us caught "the itch." Apparently, there is a bacteria in the water that thrives on water/moisture. So if it gets on you, when you get out of the water it will seek a source of moisture. Thus, it will crawl under your skin to find it. Summer kept saying she didn't want to get the itch, and I think she actually thought she would be able to see an itch bug and therefore avoid it. That being said, none of us got one of the t-shirts that they give you if you do indeed get the itch. Yay! I rode her around on one of the razors her uncle Glen had purchased for everyone's enjoyment. She didn't get the full extent of riding through the mountains, but I don't think that would've been a particularly safe trip for her anyway. While we were eating in St. George one day, we got some tickets to a baseball game. The game was not as exciting as I would've hoped since the home team was getting crushed. But, the kids did enjoy some treats from the refreshment stand.

We are back in Vegas now and going to celebrate a few birthdays tonight with the entire family. Can we get a table for 14 please? I hope to go see the Freemont Experience with Summer afterwards. I know she'll love it.

Vacation memories

I almost feel bad writing this post as it will move our vacation post to history instead of most recent. I just looked at it again and am in love with the pictures. We had some good times. Our last day, Summer just had to do a craft before the pool would even interest her. Since the kids slept late, it wasn't too hard to accommodate her. Clint watched Lexie while we went down to make her last craft: a tile trivet. First, she made a pattern with the tiles and then she transferred it to the one with the wet grout. She ended up moving some of the tiles, but it was really a random pattern anyways. More like lets see how many tiles we can get of the different shapes and colors. I am really excited about this craft and hope she will end up letting me have it for my kitchen. But, she has already said she wants it for her play kitchen. I'll have to share a pic when I take one. Lexie came down and waited somewhat patiently so we could go to the pool. Of course, she was into everything. But, luckily, they had quite a selection of animals to stuff so I didn't really think she could hurt them. She played in the tiles too and amazingly did not break any....at least that I saw. She's definitely more mischievous than Summer ever was; you've got to watch that girl.



The kiddie pool was fun as usual. Summer ran round and round. She tackled me and used me like a playground. I must say that this was the most perfect kiddie pool ever. Not warm like it was full of pee. It was still cool and very refreshing even with the hot sun bearing down on us. The play area shoots water from all kinds of places and has a slide that is small enough not to be dangerous, but still plenty of fun. Clint, Amanda and I all went down it a time or two or more. I lost my favorite silly band going down it with Lexie. She loved wearing her floaties and a ring float and just hanging out. The kids loved to be chased around the pool. It was truly a paradise for us to enjoy.



Lunch we ate at Johnny Rockets where we were so cold with our wet bathing suits next to our skin. Afterwards, we headed back to the room. Summer saw them giving henna tattoos by the pool and wanted one. So, we tried a few different places before we actually got one. The airbrush place was not working. The pool place had a line and the pool deck was hot and she was shoeless. So, while Clint, Amanda and Josh went to the water park across the street, I took the girls out tattoo hunting and souvenir shopping. Summer got two dolphins on her arm, and Lexie got a panda bear which I thought was cute since we used to call her mom panda bear. Summer actually picked it out for her, unknowing that fact. The girls both got a souvenir too.


When we got back to the room, they were already back from the water park. We ordered some takeout from Napoli's across the street. I almost think it would've been quicker for pick-up than delivery, but it turned out to be good and everyone ate until their bellies were stuffed. The girls were in for one more round at the kiddie pool before bedtime. Summer saw her friend Liz, who apparently did not really know when she was leaving Florida. In no time she was off to the big pool to play with her. She took her picture, but it didn't really turn out good because of the lighting and all. I did get several pics of them playing together though. Liz is older than Summer; I think she said she was 8 or 9. She reminded me of Punky Brewster for some reason. Maybe it was her freckles. But, she played with Summer as long as there weren't any bigger kids there who could actually jump in the pool and go under the water like she could.

The next morning Summer and I got up and went to the beach. I was pretty excited because we got to see the sun rise. We walked for a while before it came up. But, when it did, it was awesome. Summer kept saying it was the sunset. We snapped some pictures of it and I hope at least one of them is a good. We picked up a few more shells which Summer is prepared to share with whoever wants them. She had to take them to church yesterday so Memaw and Nanny could pick out some for themselves. We also saw a dead bird on the shoreline. The whole bird. Not like the bird head Amanda saw by the pool.

The car ride home was long and somewhat painful. "Mom, are we almost there?" "Are we there yet?" Over. And over. And over. Thank God for naps in the car! And, DVD players. The girls watched a Mommy & Me video a couple of times. Lexie really seemed to enjoy it. Summer and I have been watching it together for years. Now I'm going to have to be sure to pull it out when we have Lexie over. Even I got a short one after we filled our bellies up with Red Lobster. The only seafood we had on vacation other than that was at a sushi restaurant. I guess we don't go to the beach for the food.

The kids at church got to go to Chuck E. Cheese yesterday. Summer and Lexie had a blast. Summer was Miss Independent...at last! She left me, and I had to search for her on occasion when I wanted to check on her. She was with the other kids though so I wasn't too worried. Well, maybe I was, but I let her have fun. I had Lexie to contend with anyway so I am thankful Summer was able to be a big kid. I think she is the youngest one that went. There might be another one that is 4 too, but mostly it was elementary age kids. For once, we did not get our picture taken together. That is how much we were separated. I think I only watched her play 3 games out of 30 tokens. She left there with some tiny crayons in a Chuck E. shaped head, a glittery picture of Chuck E. on a skateboard, and a Tootsie Roll pop. She was using the crayons to color in the white sky on the picture before we got to our next destination.

I'm sure it will be another day of craftiness and mass production for her. I think she hung 5 or 6 pictures on my bedroom door yesterday. Some of them after I went to bed. She is waiting to show them to me now. So, I've got to go.

Spring break at the beach

Summer is enjoying her vacation with her cousins. We left out early Monday morning having picked them up on Sunday afternoon after her 4th, and last, egg hunt with Willow & Mason. We stopped at Waffle House for breakfast and the kids all had biscuits, Summer's with chicken. Then we hopped back in the car and drove the other half of the drive. I must have heard the questions how much longer and how many more miles 20 times if I heard them once. I also heard the following things a few too many times: 1. "Look!" "Monkeys always look, you're a dirty crook, stole your momma's pocketbook." 2. "Guess what?" "What?" "Fell for it." Unfortunately it has not stopped since we got here. I can't say I'm looking forward to Summer entering school and learning these type of annoying tricks.

We were all so excited when we finally got to Panama City Beach and checked into our condo. The kids wanted to go to the lazy river first thing so we put on our bathing suits and headed down. Unfortunately, it was not heated so the water was too cold for some in our party, but not Leah and Jonathan.

Later we headed to the beach. Summer just wanted to get her feet wet and kept moving her chair closer to the oncoming waves.

The next day we headed to the beach where my Granny, aunts and cousins were. Of course, I ran off and left the camera. It was fun though and we spent a few hours with them. I was heavily applying sunscreen to everyone but myself. Ouch!!! :) The following day, Summer enjoyed playing with her dad in the kiddie portion of our resort.Although trips to the beach are usually short, the kids do manage to give the camera a few good poses. They just have too much fun on the water park we have here to spend too much time away from it. I can't believe I don't have any pics of it yet.

There are a lot of jelly fish washing up on shore this week, so we are not spending too much time in the ocean. Summer did let me hold her and jump some waves one day. She really enjoyed it which surprised me because the ocean has not been her thing so far in her almost 4 years of life. And, we have had our fair share of beach vacations. The pool is definitely where it is at with her. She is swimming like a little fish too either in her float suit (there is a top that connects the the skirt in the pic below) and floaties or a ring float and floaties. Sometimes she will even just let me sit on the side and watch which is good because it is kind of cool with the wind blowing and the pool not being in the direct sunlight most of the time. She is becoming much more independent, but still likes to have me in there with her some. There is no way she would just jump in the pool without her floats though so I don't have to worry about that.
Today the kids rode some rides after lunch at Summer's favorite place, Olive Garden. Even Clint got to ride a ride because he found one that didn't go round and round...in the dizzying way that is. Tonight after dinner, we met up with my relatives again and rode go-carts. Summer loved doubling with me in the big go-carts which surprised me a little. I thought she might be afraid, but with all the hooting and hollering I was doing, she was all smiles steering her own wheel (which didn't really steer). It was awesome to see her enjoy it so much. She is really getting bigger and enjoying more grown up rides. She even wanted to ride the little roller coaster they had, but she was about 2 inches too short. On our way back into the condo tonight, she made a wish at the wishing well. She wished she would stop getting bigger. LOL I guess she hears me saying how I want her to get smaller not bigger and is just trying to help me out. She wanted to make another wish, but we were out of pennies. She wouldn't tell me what it was. She said she couldn't until she made it. The logic that girl has.....always makes me smile.

P.S. I found out the next morning, on our way to the beach, that her second wish was that she wouldn't grow anymore so I could carry her. I guess she still loves to be in my arms. It won't be too much longer, and it will be just plain awkward for me to carry her around. But for now, I'll grin and bear it.

And the favorite park is....

The Magic Kingdom!

The Magic Kingdom was our last park adventure on this trip. I decided to skip Epcot and Hollywood Studios and return there since I knew it had a lot of rides that Summer enjoyed. We didn't ride half of the rides we rode before, but we did visit several princesses this time: Belle, Cinderella, Aurora and last, but not least, Snow White. Snow White is Summer's favorite princess and we ended up getting a picture with her for one of the souvenirs. I was amazed at how much time the princesses spent talking to her. On and on they went, speaking in soft, sweet voices.Summer, as usual, was ready to get a souvenir before the day was half way through. I kept trying to get her to want to ride more rides, but all she wanted was to pick out a souvenir for herself and Lexie. I think the thing she liked best at the park yesterday was a playground in Toon Land. If she went down the slide once, she went down thirty times. The trip was all about her, so I am just glad she had a good time. The first thing she wanted to ride when we got to the park was Snow White's Scary Adventures. Then she wanted to ride the Winnie the Pooh ride. We rode it twice. We went in Mickey's house this time and ended up getting to see him and Minnie again. They were at our village earlier that morning, along with Pluto, Goofy & Belle, but you can never see them enough. It is neat because they come here twice a week to see the kids. The first time Mary Poppins came instead of Belle. Two other days, Universal sends over a character or two. Earlier this week it was Dora. Not sure who it will be today. The only other rides she rode yesterday were the Tea Party (spinning tea cups) and Dumbo. No Peter Pan, It's a Small, Small World, space ship, race car, Aladdin or carousel rides for her that day (she rode those the first visit in addition to the ones listed above). We did get to see a different parade on our way out. Summer got to dance with Baloo during it and had a great time. At first she just sat in her stroller and watched not wanting to join in the dancing fun (she was ready for souvenirs, LOL). But, after a few minutes, she got up and danced with me.

Last night was Christmas here at the village. Santa and Mrs. Santa were here. There were horse drawn carriage rides. There were Christmas decorations everywhere. After Summer sat on Santa's lap, she got to go pick a present. I knew what she was going to pick before she did: a FurReal baby kitten. They really think of everything here and make the visit special for all the kids here. Every day when we returned from the parks, there was a special surprise waiting for Summer on our kitchen table. I can't say enough good things about this place. Well, I better run. Summer wants ice cream for breakfast!

Two more parks down: SeaWorld & Animal Kindom

What a whirlwind of a week! Tuesday we went to SeaWorld. We arrived at the park just before 10:00 a.m. and rushed to the the dolphin cove for the dolphin feeding. Summer got free fish to feed them with her pink Give Kids the World button. She didn't want to touch the fish though. I did finally get her to feed one of the dolphins the last fish. They were so friendly and swam right up to us. We got to pet them and I was surprised at they way they felt. Not slimy at all like a expected. After that, we viewed our pics and Summer decided that was what she wanted for her souvenir. Of course, she did not want it in a frame, but it came in one and there it remains....to her dismay. She wants it out so she can put it with her "collection." She has the pic of her, BJ and Baby Bop from Universal and a few postcards which make up her collection. There were a few rides at the park, including a carousel and a few spinning rides which she loves! Luckily, I can still ride them with her cause Daddy definitely can't. We saw lots of cool aquatic animals and a few good shows while we were there. She really enjoyed the Pets Ahoy show which starred mostly dogs and cats. After it was over, we headed back to the village so we could enjoy the pool some more. After dinner, we went to the icecream palace for a treat. Summer took her cotton candy she got at SeaWorld so she could put it in an ice cream cone. Not sure where she got that idea from. That night she played putt-putt for the first time. I think her daddy finally got her to hold the club semi-right by the end of our 7 holes.

Yesterday, we got up and ate breakfast while daddy went to the walk-in clinic down the street to discover he had an infection in his arm below where his picc line was a few weeks ago. He got a shot in the rear, :D, and a few prescriptions to knock it out. While he was gone, we went to the horse corral and Summer took a ride on Ginger. When he returned and ate breakfast himself, we headed to Animal Kingdom. The safari experience was pretty cool, just like being in Africa. One part of the park featured a veterinarian office where they treat and do check-ups on all the animals at all of the Disney parks plus any injured animals they find along the way. Summer was completely enthralled by the vet talking about animals they had treated and showing their x-rays. But, afterwards when I asked her if she still wants to be a vet, the answer was no. Now she wants to be nothing when she grows up. She did finally decide she will just be an "eater." LOL We have a long ways to go though before she really decides what she wants to be in life.

Last night we went to the Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament just down the street. It was a great experience for us all. No silverware, but Summer did say they plates were silver. :) Our team was the green team which was the bad guy. He almost won, but of course in the end did not. I am glad we got a good discount there because it was rather expensive. But, I guess we were worth whatever it would cost anyway.

Today we are headed back to the Magic Kingdom for our last full day here. I am sad to see this vacation come to an end, but all good things must I suppose.