Chattanooga

A couple of months ago Brax and I planned a Friday that he would take off work so we could go to Chattanooga for the day. This plan was altered slightly when our van was backed into as we were leaving Thomas's preschool on Thursday. Thankfully the girl who hit us had great insurance, and by Thursday afternoon we already had a rental car.

We started off our trip Friday morning by dropping the van off at the body shop. Thankfully only the front driver's side fender was affected, and it's supposed to be ready to pck up tomorrow.

 

We spent the morning at the Chattanooga Children's Museum. The kids loved it. The water area was of course a hit. Thomas really loved everything. Mae loved the big play kitchen and the coloring area.

 

We met sweet Joyce Kile for lunch (and I'm so disappointed that I didn't get a picture). She brought wind-up toys for the kids which made lunch so much more pleasnt. We loved getting to talk to her and catch up!

Then we went to the zoo in the afternoon. It was very hot, but it was still fun to see the animals. Both kids' favorite thing was a talking bird, and Thomas also loved the snakes (gross!!! I kept envisioning sheets of glass disappearing...) Brax loved the red pandas.

 

It was a really fun day (which isn't always the case with two kids). Chattanooga isn't that far away, and it's a fun place. I hope we can do it again soon!

Surprise Visit!

At 7:51 on Wednesday morning we got a call from LuLu and GG Richard. LuLu said that they were about 100 miles away (on their way to the beach) and wondered if they could come visit. It was a perfect day for it. Thomas doesn't have school on Wednesdays and we really had no plans. Our house was a huge mess, but I had enough time for a little frantic straightening and to take a shower. It was a sweet morning of hanging out in the playroom and then they took us to Chick-Fil-A for lunch-ALWAYS a way to my children's hearts! I love that my kids are getting some time with some of their great granparents!

 

 

 

 

An Afternoon at the Park...

At the End of the Summer.

 

Field Trip

Today was Thomas's first big field trip. The Pre-K and Kindergarten went to the Botanical Garden. At his school, if there's a field trip, the kid can go if a parent goes. So, Mae, Thomas and I all packed sack lunches and headed there. Thomas had a GREAT morning. He basically just got to run around with his friends all morning. Mae was in the stroller most of the morning, so that wasn't as fun for her, but she did get out and play a little. And she got to sit at the picnic tables like a big girl.

A big group of the kids. They were supposed to be making scary faces.

 

 

 

Eating lunch

 

BUSY!

 

 

I thought that once Thomas started school things would be less busy! I mean I would only have one child to take care of three mornings a week. That should give me lots more time, right? Turns out not! We have been extremely busy since school started.

Part of that is due to the fact that for the last few weeks we have only had one car. Our Jeep has been getting a makeover (rebuilt transmission that is), so the kids and I have been taking Brax to work and picking him up basically every day. I thought that it would add stress to the days, and that it would get old, but honestly I loved it! Even though it made the mornings a little crazier the kids and I thoroughly enjoyed our extra 25 minutes or so with Brax. And who doesn't need an excuse for something to do at 4:50 (can I get an "AMEN!" from the other stay-at-home-moms?)???? But, the Jeep is back, and Brax drove himself to work today.

Plus, having kids is just busy. Brax and I sat down and looked at our calendar for the fall, and it's busy! Football, Community Chorus rehearsals and concerts, pumpkin patch visits, Small Group, Fantasy Football, school programs and parties, Bunco, holidays, birthdays, family trips, did I mention football?...There's always a lot of fun stuff to do in the fall! So, I'm still blogging, but these days it might be a little more sporatic!

(oh and I cut Mae's hair. i meant to trim it, but you know...oh well!)

Labor Day Weekend

*This post includes pictures from Dove Hunting.

We spent Labor Day Weekend with PaPa and MiMi. We watched lots and lots of football (including cheering the Tide onto their first victory of the season!)

It was the opening of Dove Season. Brax, PaPa and Thomas went hunting on Saturday on Monday. Thomas had the best time retrieving the doves that they shot. He also really enjoyed the Cheetos and M&M's that he got to eat at the dove field! Then Brax and PaPa very much enjoyed coming home to eat their doves!

 

Meanwhile, the girls went shopping!!!! Mae did great and we had a lot of fun!

 

Polar Express

MiMi took Thomas to the free movies all summer. We had three different theaters to choose from that had free movies, so they were able to find a good one to see almost every week. The very last week of the summer Mae and I joined them to watch the Polar Express. It was Mae's first time to see a movie in a theater. She only made it through about an hour, but it was fun anyway! (Thomas was kind enough to take the picture of MiMi, Mae and me.)

 

 

Tree Houses!

Our Botanical Garden has had 12 treehouses all summer, built by different groups. We've been meaning to go (but have been putting it off because it's not free like Birmingham!) and finally made it. Thomas could get into all of them, and Mae could get into some of them. It was a fun morning as a family, although of course, blisteringly hot!!! We enjoyed the Gardens enough to buy a family pass for the year!