Well, I'm still not sure if Spring is here to stay or not. The weather has been crazy this year!
But, I took this photo on Easter... how can Spring not be here when there are baby birds hatching in magnolia trees? I just love it!
Monday, April 20, 2009
Easter in Alabama
We made the trek to Ardmore for Easter weekend. We could not leave until after Ross got off work so we decided to stay the night in Chattanooga rather than drive all the way through and be exhausted. It sounded like such a good idea at the time... but we probably won't do that again. We stayed at an Econo Lodge - which I realize is not the fanciest of places - but this one just did NOT cut it. If we didn't have Reid to worry about, I feel certain that I would have gotten up and just driven the rest of the way in the middle of the night, instead of listening to the squeaky bed springs. There were a host of other non-fun things about it but there's no sense in rehashing it now. :)
I should also note that somehow Bunny did not make the trip with us. We did not even notice until we pulled into the hotel. It wasn't nearly as traumatic as it could have been - thank goodness! I don't think I could have taken it on top of all the other things.
We woke up early Friday morning to lots of rain. After a quick bite we headed out. After all, I had a hair appointment to get to. (Hey, if you knew how much cheaper I can get it done there vs. here, you'd understand.) I dropped the boys off at mom's and headed to Athens for the appointment. The whole time I was there, tornado warnings were going off for all over north Alabama. Aaah. That's how
you know you're home.
I got out and back just in time. Within an hour, we were under our own warning and got to have what Reid referred to as "the best snowstorm ever," a.k.a. marble-sized hail. Welcome to April in Alabama! Nothing at our place was damaged but we did get enough accumulation for a mini-snowball fight. That night I had dinner with some of my oldest friends, all from high school.
Saturday was low-key. Ross and Doug played golf while Reid, mom, and I shopped and hung out together. It was Ross' first time golfing in a least 6 months - but he still beat Doug. He is nice and doesn't rub it in too much (that I know of).
Easter dinner was not until 1:30 Sunday, so we spent the morning watching Reid play with the goodies form his Easter basket. I personally think the Easter Bunny outdid himself this year- I was loving the Easter bucket, which coincidentally matches Reid's bedroom. That Easter Bunny sure is thoughtful about tho
se kinds of things. :)
We had a wonderful afternoon at Granny and Papa's. Lots of food, fishing, and, of course, egg hunting. For me, the best part was watching Reid and his cousin Peyton - who is 4 months younger - play together all day long. This is the first time they have been together for any length of time since they are both old enough to really play together and enjoy each other on their own. It was just so cute.
Of course, we were back in the car bright and early Monday morning headed back to South Carolina. But it was a great weekend!
(Here are some pics from Easter day. I'd love to give you some captions but the formatting on here is totally freaking out tonight. You'll have to figure them all out for yourself.)
:)
I should also note that somehow Bunny did not make the trip with us. We did not even notice until we pulled into the hotel. It wasn't nearly as traumatic as it could have been - thank goodness! I don't think I could have taken it on top of all the other things.
We woke up early Friday morning to lots of rain. After a quick bite we headed out. After all, I had a hair appointment to get to. (Hey, if you knew how much cheaper I can get it done there vs. here, you'd understand.) I dropped the boys off at mom's and headed to Athens for the appointment. The whole time I was there, tornado warnings were going off for all over north Alabama. Aaah. That's how
you know you're home.I got out and back just in time. Within an hour, we were under our own warning and got to have what Reid referred to as "the best snowstorm ever," a.k.a. marble-sized hail. Welcome to April in Alabama! Nothing at our place was damaged but we did get enough accumulation for a mini-snowball fight. That night I had dinner with some of my oldest friends, all from high school.
Saturday was low-key. Ross and Doug played golf while Reid, mom, and I shopped and hung out together. It was Ross' first time golfing in a least 6 months - but he still beat Doug. He is nice and doesn't rub it in too much (that I know of).
Easter dinner was not until 1:30 Sunday, so we spent the morning watching Reid play with the goodies form his Easter basket. I personally think the Easter Bunny outdid himself this year- I was loving the Easter bucket, which coincidentally matches Reid's bedroom. That Easter Bunny sure is thoughtful about tho
se kinds of things. :)We had a wonderful afternoon at Granny and Papa's. Lots of food, fishing, and, of course, egg hunting. For me, the best part was watching Reid and his cousin Peyton - who is 4 months younger - play together all day long. This is the first time they have been together for any length of time since they are both old enough to really play together and enjoy each other on their own. It was just so cute.
Of course, we were back in the car bright and early Monday morning headed back to South Carolina. But it was a great weekend!
(Here are some pics from Easter day. I'd love to give you some captions but the formatting on here is totally freaking out tonight. You'll have to figure them all out for yourself.)
:)
Warrenton Easter Egg Hunt
Some really nice neighbors took it upon themselves to put together an egg hunt in our neighborhood this year. It was the weekend before Easter and was really good!
We didn't really know what to expect - and I don't think they did either. They had 180 eggs hidden, which sounds like alot until 40 kids show up. Do the math... that's not many. And, considering there was no differentiation between age groups I had concerns about how things would end up. (Jeannie, Sarmite, and I had all brought emergency eggs in case we needed a special hunt again afterward but thank goodness it was not necessary.)
All the boys ended up with a few eggs. Reid had 3 or 4, which I considered a victory since there were 8 year olds running around all over. He probably could have had a few more but he dropped his basket and one of the eggs came open, revealing the fact that there was chocolate inside. That was all she wrote... he sat down on the spot and devoured everything in his basket.
Then he made his way over to the refreshments table for a drink, a cupcake, and some cookies. All about an hour before lunch. Oh well. :)
It actually ended up kind of warm but he refused to take his jacket and hat off. Stubborn kid!
Just after he realized there was chocolate...
Unwrapping...
And, it's gone. :)
The Robinson boys - ever cool in their shades - and Joshua inspecting the goods.
We didn't really know what to expect - and I don't think they did either. They had 180 eggs hidden, which sounds like alot until 40 kids show up. Do the math... that's not many. And, considering there was no differentiation between age groups I had concerns about how things would end up. (Jeannie, Sarmite, and I had all brought emergency eggs in case we needed a special hunt again afterward but thank goodness it was not necessary.)
All the boys ended up with a few eggs. Reid had 3 or 4, which I considered a victory since there were 8 year olds running around all over. He probably could have had a few more but he dropped his basket and one of the eggs came open, revealing the fact that there was chocolate inside. That was all she wrote... he sat down on the spot and devoured everything in his basket.
Then he made his way over to the refreshments table for a drink, a cupcake, and some cookies. All about an hour before lunch. Oh well. :)
It actually ended up kind of warm but he refused to take his jacket and hat off. Stubborn kid! 
Just after he realized there was chocolate...
Unwrapping...
And, it's gone. :)
The Robinson boys - ever cool in their shades - and Joshua inspecting the goods.Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Some Things Just Don't Change...
We made the trip to Alabama for Easter, which was great (and with pics to follow soon). One perk of an extended trip home is that I can sometimes get the Ardmore girls together all in one place. They all pretty much live nearby, so I am the one that the outings get scheduled around.
We started this a few years back when several of us ran into each other at the Crape Myrtle Festival - I don't have to explain what that is to all you North Alabama people. :) We had a group lunch and fortunately have kept it up. A few times a year we are able to have dinner or meet at someone's house. This was the biggest group yet!
We started this a few years back when several of us ran into each other at the Crape Myrtle Festival - I don't have to explain what that is to all you North Alabama people. :) We had a group lunch and fortunately have kept it up. A few times a year we are able to have dinner or meet at someone's house. This was the biggest group yet!
Here we are (clockwise from left): Me, Jessica Y., Laurie, Michelle, Donna, Jessica E., Erica, Rebecca, Karla, and Joni.
Some had to leave earlier than others, but the last of us stayed more than 3 1/2 hours. I have known many of these girls Kindergarten or so, so we can talk about most anything - or nothing - for hours. I'm sure people were looking at our table to see how much alcohol had been consumed and were surprised to see none. :) Can't wait to do it again!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Road Trip to See Granna in Montgomery.
Mom is working on and off in Montgomery, so she is down there for a few weeks at a time. Oddly, it is easier and an hour quicker to drive all the way down there than it is to get to Ardmore, so Reid and I made the road trip. Except for the first 3 miles and the last 7 miles, the entire trip was on I-85. An easy, but kind of boring, drive.
We stayed with her in the hotel, which was actually in Prattville, just north of Fun-gomery (as we used to call it when I lived there). It was really a great weekend - we went to the Zoo, found a great park to play at, and just explored. Reid made friends with all the hotel employees, especially Mr. Scott at the front desk. The hotel caters primarily to business travelers, so it was dead on the weekend. We had the run of the place.
Reid also got to open his belated birthday gifts from Granna which he was super excited about. Check it out...
At the Montgomery Zoo, picking flowers that they probably aren't supposed to pick.
He wanted me to put this in my hair, but I opted out since I could see the little bugs on it. No thanks. :)
This peacock was loud and decided to put on a show. I'm not sure what stirred him/her up, but we got to see it strut around and spread its feathers multiple times.
See? It was really cool.
Every zoo needs a train!
Opening his birthday gift in the hotel parking lot...
A scooter!
He did a great job and was pretty good at it right off the bat.
But we did have a minor injury - check out that elbow.
It was a pretty nasty scrape. Once we got the bandaid on it, though, he was a-ok.
At the park, looking for fish in the stream.
And digging up rocks, which all got thrown into the lake.
Beautiful blue sky & a really big tree. I just thought it was pretty.
There were lots of ducks and some geese at the lake. We - and everyone else - brought a loaf of bread to feed them. The ducks just looked at us like, "Bread? Really?" This goose was very vocal about it - he was loud and obnoxious and had no sense of personal space...
A crane (right?) in the lake at the park. He stood there for a bit and then took off - so graceful.
We stayed with her in the hotel, which was actually in Prattville, just north of Fun-gomery (as we used to call it when I lived there). It was really a great weekend - we went to the Zoo, found a great park to play at, and just explored. Reid made friends with all the hotel employees, especially Mr. Scott at the front desk. The hotel caters primarily to business travelers, so it was dead on the weekend. We had the run of the place.
Reid also got to open his belated birthday gifts from Granna which he was super excited about. Check it out...
At the Montgomery Zoo, picking flowers that they probably aren't supposed to pick.
He wanted me to put this in my hair, but I opted out since I could see the little bugs on it. No thanks. :)
This peacock was loud and decided to put on a show. I'm not sure what stirred him/her up, but we got to see it strut around and spread its feathers multiple times.
See? It was really cool.
Every zoo needs a train!
Opening his birthday gift in the hotel parking lot...
A scooter!
He did a great job and was pretty good at it right off the bat.
But we did have a minor injury - check out that elbow.
It was a pretty nasty scrape. Once we got the bandaid on it, though, he was a-ok.
At the park, looking for fish in the stream.
And digging up rocks, which all got thrown into the lake.
Beautiful blue sky & a really big tree. I just thought it was pretty.
There were lots of ducks and some geese at the lake. We - and everyone else - brought a loaf of bread to feed them. The ducks just looked at us like, "Bread? Really?" This goose was very vocal about it - he was loud and obnoxious and had no sense of personal space...
A crane (right?) in the lake at the park. He stood there for a bit and then took off - so graceful.Working at the Car Wash... Car Wash, Yeah.
When the weather was nice a few weeks ago, I had the bright idea to wash my car by hand. Actually, it wasn't so bad, and I knew Reid would be excited to help. So, I prepared myself to be soaked and we went to it.
Reid was in charge of washing to soap off the car. He did a pretty good job with the areas he was tall enough for. Of course, there were some mishaps - like me getting sprayed directly in the face at point blank range just as a neighbor was walking by. Reid also decided that his tricycle needed to get washed. Hey, why not?
This is the most attention this tricycle has ever received.
Detailing the "ride." I had hoped it would spark some interest in riding the thing- but no.
After he turned the sprayer backwards and sprayed himself directly in the face. (I love those dimples!)
Afterwards, where we had to strip down before intering the house...
As you can see, he didn't seem to mind. :)
Reid was in charge of washing to soap off the car. He did a pretty good job with the areas he was tall enough for. Of course, there were some mishaps - like me getting sprayed directly in the face at point blank range just as a neighbor was walking by. Reid also decided that his tricycle needed to get washed. Hey, why not?
This is the most attention this tricycle has ever received. 
Detailing the "ride." I had hoped it would spark some interest in riding the thing- but no.
After he turned the sprayer backwards and sprayed himself directly in the face. (I love those dimples!)
Afterwards, where we had to strip down before intering the house...
As you can see, he didn't seem to mind. :)Arts & Crafts
(Yes, I am catching up on the blog today. Can you tell?)
Reid and I have done some fun arts and crafts lately. Here's a sampling:
I decided to make some cute shirts for Reid using iron-on transfer paper. I was pleasantly surprised at how they turned out. Here's Brobie from Yo Gabba Gabba...
And, the current favorite... after searching online for a while, I finally found a Wonderpets logo that was good enough quality to enlarge for the shirt. He's wearing it right now, actually...
During a brief period of sunshine and warmth outside, Reid and I decided to paint a new birdhouse for the backyard. I have had it forever from a yard sale last summer.
It's actually pretty cute. Of course it is not up yet because it won't stop raining!
Reid and I have done some fun arts and crafts lately. Here's a sampling:
I decided to make some cute shirts for Reid using iron-on transfer paper. I was pleasantly surprised at how they turned out. Here's Brobie from Yo Gabba Gabba... 
And, the current favorite... after searching online for a while, I finally found a Wonderpets logo that was good enough quality to enlarge for the shirt. He's wearing it right now, actually...
During a brief period of sunshine and warmth outside, Reid and I decided to paint a new birdhouse for the backyard. I have had it forever from a yard sale last summer.
It's actually pretty cute. Of course it is not up yet because it won't stop raining!Let them eat cake!
I tried a trick this week that I read about a while back. Making a cake with cake mix and diet soda (and nothing else). Amazingly, it worked! You bake it using the directions on the box. Voila! Cheaper, easier, and no extra calories!
The "ingredients"
Finshed product. No problems rising and they taste good! If you are a batter-eater (as I am) you can taste the carbonation in the batter- which is kind of odd - but it doesn't seem to matter in the end.
The taste tester hard at work.
No complaints here! (Notice the frosting fumanchu... nice touch.)
The "ingredients" 
Finshed product. No problems rising and they taste good! If you are a batter-eater (as I am) you can taste the carbonation in the batter- which is kind of odd - but it doesn't seem to matter in the end.
The taste tester hard at work.
No complaints here! (Notice the frosting fumanchu... nice touch.)What $41.00 Can Buy
ALL THIS!I have turned into the crazy coupon lady at the grocery store, and I don't even care. The regular price of these items at Publix would have been $96.62. After the sales and coupons, my out of pocket total was only $41.39. A savings of $55.23 - or 57%. Not to mention that I got some of the items for completely free. And, it's all things that we will eat.
Not all trips are this good, but... WOOHOO!
(I am such a dork.) :)
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