NYC Travel Tip 1

Ask somebody!!

On our first full day in NY, Joe had to leave us at the museum of Natural History to go back and have dinner with some colleagues. When we left the museum at closing (5:45), it was absolutely pouring down rain. I had promised the kids we would go to Dylan's Candy Bar. So rain or not, that's where we were headed. I hailed a cab, yes, I, non agressive me, got a cab to pull over and didn't allow any body to jump in ahead of me and he took us there. After, I had to figure out how to get us back to our hotel. So we stepped out into the rain again and ran across the street to Patsy's Pizza (which I highly recommend!) and had dinner.

As I entered Patsy's Pizza place in my soaking wet clothes and baseball cap. I noticed right off that there were not many tourists in there. It was definitely more of a neighborhood place, I felt like I looked out of place, but everyone was very nice. Sitting next to us was a young couple, and I don't know how, but you can just tell the locals from the tourists, and they were locals. So I had my subway map out and was trying to figure out how to get home, I leaned over and asked them the best way to get to Time Square. "Just take the 6 to Grand Central, then get on the _ and it will take you straight to 42nd street", she said. Then he said "Or, just take the R, and it will express you straight to 42nd street". They both showed me on the map how either one would work and I opted for Grand Central Station so the kids could see that.

Down in the subway, I knew I was trying to catch the "6", but the sign lists about 4 numbers so I'm a little worried I might get on a wrong train. I see a man, sitting on a bench, texting on his cell phone, wearing a suit...probably not a tourist. So I ask him, "Am I in the right place to catch the 6 to Grand Central?" He tells me yes, says he is getting on the same train, sits across from us on the train, and makes sure I don't miss my stop. Thank you kind gentleman!!

In Grand Central I found another guy and asked him about which train to get on to go to Time Square, he tells me to just walk and tells me how to get there. So easy!!

After that night, that one subway trip, NY was a breeze. I felt so confident getting on and off trains and in and out of cabs. I figured out ho to read the subway map, but still always asked someone just to be on the safe side.

Oh! I forgot to tell you that I had to buy a Metro Card and couldn't figure out the machine. A very nice girl, stood with me patiently and helped me with that. I even thought she was going to pull out some cash to give me if I couldn't make my card work. I wouldn't have taken it, but wasn't that nice!!

New Yorkers get a bad rap. They are not rude, they are very helpful. It is a great place, we had a very pleasant time.

More tips to follow.....

Off To The Big Apple!!

We're off! I was doing really well with my packing when we had a little set back. Did you know Delta now charges you to check your baggage!!! I swear, I already had our bags packed when I had to downsize. Had to take everything out of Wheeler's suitcase and share mine with him. His Daddy better hope I don't find any great designer jeans or boots, or he'll be shopping at Target for new clothes with all the money he saved by not checking that extra bag!! Cause I gotta have room to bring back some goods.

I'm just kidding, maybe.

The Marshall Tucker Band

I hope Tiffany doesn't mind, I've pretty much stolen this entry from her blog. She doesn't have writers block. And my creativity is stumped, especially since her post says it all!

Yes, the Marshall Tucker Band!! You know "Heard It In a Love Song", "Can't You See", "High on the Mountain, Lightnin in the Air"... and....that's all. But still, I love those songs, plus, I heard that Phenix City had just built this fabulous amphitheatre.

We really had a good time, but I can't say the band was the reason. That poor guy, the lead singer, who I think is the only original band member left, has pretty much had it. You couldn't hear him, I was never sure what he was singing, his voice has just gone. He seemed like a really nice guy though.

We got lost on the way, maybe now Mark might get an i-phone.

Once we got there, it was sold out, we had to watch through the bars. Truthfully, not bad seats though!

Asking for directions was a little bit scary, and yet funny at the same time. Joe had just been telling us some shady history on Phenix City and how, many years ago, the attorney general had come to clean up the town but was killed for trying to do so. Let me tell you, from the looks of the people at that ampitheatre, and at the Family Dollar where we asked for directions, the AG didn't get much done before he died.

We did finally get in, because so many people were leaving, and didn't even have to pay. Tiffany and I got some new fashion ideas, though Mark says Phenix City is not where we should be getting style tips (I don't know why). We were absolutely obsessed with the 14 year old beauty who was double fisting the Budweisers and smoking cigarettes. We kept debating on whether or not she was really 14 or we were just so old that they all look so young. She was so cute, reminded me of Jennifer Anniston, but wonder what she will look like in 15 years.

Joe waited in a very long line to get us something to drink. About 5 minutes before he got back with our Beer they started singing, "Can't You See". I was worried that he wouldn't be back in time for us to share the experience together. No worries, they sang it for about 15 minutes, they sang it, then the drunk down in front got up and sang it, then some little girls got up and sang it, then the little girls sang it wrong, so he had a talking with the little girl and then they started over. Actually, it was very sweet, the girls were cute. Maybe the highlight of the concert. And then...It was over. And they never sang "Heard It in a Love Song!!!!!" I had been singing that one in my head in great anticipation all day that day!!!

But, as I sit here and make fun, we truly had a great time. I'm going to plagiarized from Tiffany's blog and list these reasons as to why it was such a good time.

1. the weather was awesome

2. the Mexican food was the really good.

3. the Budweiser was cold and I was thirsty

4. we got in FREE

5. the flutist was great! If you remember those songs, you'll remember that the flute is sort of the MT band's signature, and it is actually really cool!

6.Their number one fan was just a few rows in front of us. He loved The Marshall Tucker Band so much that it warmed my heart!

7. And Tiffany, I know you said this about us, but truly, we just had a great time with yall. You and Mark are a lot of fun and we had a lot of laughs!

Breaking the Block!

All right so I have writers block (even though I don't think you can really call me a writer) since Earth Day. I just ran out of fun things to say. I don't really think I have much to say now but I'm just gonna try. I'll just start by summarizing our summer I guess.

In May, before school was out, I participated in Operation Boot Camp! I highly recommend it. It was great! I didn't miss a day, and now about 6 weeks after I finished, I am running about 3 miles several times a week! I always said I didn't want to run because I didn't want to have to get a knee replacement. Now, I'm running. Now, I'm icing my knee and limping...only 6 weeks into it. I'm considering signing up for a 10k, which is a little over 6 miles. Even I think I'm an idiot.

The kids had a great June! Kate was swimming with the Auburn Aquatics program and swam in a couple of meets. Wheeler has been taking diving from Jeff Shaffer, Auburn's head diving coach. I think it is amazing that we live in this town where you can get an olympic coach to teach you, and through the city parks and rec at that!!

They both went to Camp! Can you believe I sent my 6 year old to camp! I know, you would never send your 6 year old to camp but I am a bad mommy!! But he begged, and begged, so I let him go. I loved camp as a kid (even though I didn't go until I was 10). They both really had a good time and can't wait to go back. I'm telling you, if you didn't go as a kid, you missed out. And if you think your child might want to go, encourage it, it is so fantastic!!

Went to Lake Martin twice. Got to swim, boat, tube and ride Sea Doos. Thanks Barclay and Tiffany! Had a great time, both times!

Went to the Marshall Tucker concert, which is a post in itself.

Now, we are heading off to New York! We leave Wednesday, can't wait!!! Kate is really excited, she has a little better idea of what to expect.

I'm not sure if I have really "broken the block" but maybe it's a start. I'll keep trying by elaborating on previously mentioned activities.

Earth Day

Kate's class went on an awesome fieldtrip yesterday!! We are so fortunate to live in a town with such fantastic schools. I think our school in particualar is really fantastic. We have a counselor who does so many extra things for and with our kids. We have a principal who is open to new ideas and allows are teachers to think outside the box.

Yesterday, the whole 3rd grade got to go on a hike to a nearby state park. We didn't hike down the road. We hiked through the woods and entered the park through the back (with permission ofcourse). For almost an hour we hiked over logs and rocks, next to a big creek. Absolutely getting those kids out in nature.

Once we got there, we got to canoe in the lake, fish, and learn about trees and wildlife from county extension agents. We were there the whole day, the adults involved in this fieldtrip were great. They really put there all into what they were teaching. Thank you to Mr. Hooks, Ms. Moar (our venture teacher), Ms. Goodling (our computer teacher), and Ms. Calloway (our P.E. teacher). (And please forgive me if I'm not thanking all of the teachers, don't mean to leave anyone out.) Thanks to the County Extension office and to Auburn University for participating.

Kate is so fortunate to be getting an education like this. She has a message for everyone...Starting today, earth day...Let's remember to turn off our computers at night when they aren't in use, don't overwater your lawns this summer (about every 5 days is enough), call Pottery Barn and ask them to take you off of their mailing list (we can order from the website), carpool when you can, and reduce, reuse, and recycle....Instead of a New Years Resolution, make it an Earthday Resolution.

Sticks Country Music Festival

I had a great time last night with some friends. There was a BIG country music festival going on right outside of town here. I love country music, if you haven't already figured that out. So I was trying all week to figure out how we could go. How I could justfiy paying for the tickets when I knew I wouldn't be able to go for long. (The whole thing was 2 days and the price reflected it).

Well, Saturday morning my friend called and said she had free tickets!!! She got them through her work, and with some extra work, was able to get 4 more free tickets and have them upgraded to VIP!! VIP meant we got to sit closer to the stage, got free food in the VIP tent, got to use the VIP bathrooms which were much nicer than the Jiffy Jon's up on the top of the hill (Vicki even saw Gretchen Wilson in the VIP bathrooms!!!) and got to go backstage (where Sarah Evans and Jay Barker rode by us in a golf cart, I thought Heather was going to pull my finger off).

We had a great time. It's been a long time since I've done anything like that (I went to June Jam in Ft. Payne AL when I was about 21.) This was fairly tame. We only saw one fight...even though it took every police officer there to break it up and get this one guy to stop. Seriously, three police officers walked past us (or should I say were dragged past us) as they escorted this guy out of there. He was a pretty big guy, and he was mad about something. These police officers were struggling to hang on to this guy. One of them was hanging on to his hair (like you would the mane of a horse as he is galloping away with you).

But they got him out and all was fine, until these 2 guys came to sit behind us. In the VIP Section! They were decked out head to toe in black leather, nascar jackets, big cowboy hats, cigarettes hanging out of their mouths. And these guys had had way too much to drink. They were making lude comments about every girl who walked by. Joe started calling them Dale Jr. and Dale Sr., and I'm not one to sit around and watch or talk NASCAR, but that was just disrespectful. I mean this guy was awful and I think Dale Sr. is looking down on Joe saying "Thanks a lot buddy! You don't even know me!!"

Once the music started (as you would have about a 30 minute intermission between acts), it was all good. Dale Jr. and Dale Sr. stopped looking at girls and started listening and enjoying the music and so did we. We all sang along and hooped and hollered at every song. Vicki's daughter who is 13 I think, knew every word to every song. She wants to be a country singer when she grows up... So do I!

The dumbest thing I did was forget to take my camera, so I'll just put a few songs on my playlist by some of the artists we got to see. I'll see if Heather has any pictures and I'll get them from her.

Thanks Vicki and Sheppard for a great time!!! It was a blast.

A New Era

You hear the term "Young Mother" all the time. At what point do you become just a "Mother" and not a "Young Mother" anymore. Does it have to do with your age as a mother or is it when your children are no longer babies.

I've been thinking I fit into the "Young Mother" category, even though I am approaching 40. I think it has more to do with the age of the children...new mother. Today, when my kids got home from school, I realized that our family has entered a new era.

Wheeler lost his 1st top tooth today. At school. He had lost the 2 on the bottom but I still thought of him as a baby. I don't know why the top ones are more of a milestone. Maybe just because that hole is just so visible. Plus, Kate got glasses today. The eye doctor's office called so I went and picke them up and took them straight to school. But I couldn't see her in them because they are testing so she couldn't be interrupted. So, when they got home from school today, they didn't look like the babies I sent to school this morning. It just felt like a milestone day.




They aren't babies anymore. But I think there new milestones make them cute.

Spring Break

We had a great time at the beach!

We played in the sand





My sweet boy helped me set up some shade! Poor thing the umbrella came open just as he tried to bring it to me, with the wind blowing him back all the time. He didn't give up though, he brought it on.



We swam in the ocean! Well, the kids did.



We made a new friend.

There was a rare moment...very rare!




We flew a kite

The boys played trains in the sand

Cute thing

They swam till they turned blue, it only took 15 minutes each time.

We rode bikes to the park,

swang while we were there,

then rode back to the crib.

Ate at an old favorite spot.

And ended the day with a beautiful sunset!

I do love the beach!!!

Monkey Park

We have the greatest park near here. It is called Monkey Park. It is called that because there actually used to be monkeys in cages there. My husband says he remembers them from when he was little. I'm glad they are not there any more. It would make me really sad.

It really is a great park. They have this

and this

and this

and even these. You never see swings anymore. Why not? Swings are the best!!

but wait...with all of this great monkey equipment where are my kids?

Here they are!

and here

and here

This park is awesome. My kids did use the monkey equipment some but the nature and adventure was fun too.

We are going back next month because there is a train that runs around the park from April through September.

Sinning

A mama does more sinning on Sunday, than any other day of the week!! ...I'm just sayin.

Life is a Roller Coaster

I haven't posted in a while and right now haven't much to say. I've been saving this video clip for a while, although you may have seen it on my friends blog a while back. Anyway, I love it, I love this movie too. So I just thought I would post it, no time like the present right?

'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1h_hmdVJAc">

Alabama Weather

Believe it or not, these 1st 3 pictures were taken less than 24 hours before the last 4 pictures. From the same spot!! Seems crazy.

Maybe it's not so crazy. I've never lived anywhere but in the south so I think it's funny that we can wear shorts one day and need to pull out our snow gear the next. I say that like I have snow gear. We live in Alabama, we don't have snow gear.

So we wake up to snow falling and I start scurrying around to find things to keep my kids dry and warm. I know I better figure it out before they wake up because once they do, they aren't going to wait for me to go outside and play. This is their first snow, and it might be there last for another 5 years or so.

Growing up near Atlanta and in the 70's before global warming...We usually got snow or sleet once a year. Missed school one or maybe 2 days if we were lucky. So I did learn you had to layer and stay dry. We were able to layer. Long johns first, a turtleneck next, then a sweater or sweatshirt, and then a coat that can keep you dry. (Kate wore my rubber raincoat from Target which she was not happy about, but let me tell you, it worked) We had rain boots so 2 pair of socks for layers and the rain boots seem to work. The hard part is the pants, long johns then jeans, but that is going to get wet quick. I wish I had taken a picture of all of the wet clothes right inside my front door. We go out for about an hour, have all we can take, go inside strip it down, layer it up again with clean dry clothes then head out again. We do this atleast 3 or 4 times that day. So the pile of wet clothes in my dining room was rather large.

I don't know if this is crazy or not. I don't know what it is like to live where they get snow more often. Maybe there it is sunny and beautiful the day before the snow comes too. I don't know. I do know that in Alabama, you never put away your shorts. Even in January and February there are going to be short days. I also know that in June, July, or August...there is not going to be a sweater day and layers will not be needed, you can put those away. Hopefully soon!

Teacher Appreciation

This week at my son's kindergarten was Teacher Appreciation week. One of the days the PTA had asked for one mom per class to "lunch sit". Stay with the class during lunch so that the teacher can go down the hall, to the PTA room and have lunch with the other teachers. I said I would. It's only 45 minutes, how bad could it be.

Now, there is no lunch room at the school, so they eat in their classrooms. I get to school just in time to take them down the hall, to the lunch service area so they can pick up their lunches and take them back to the room. It immediately begins! Miss Elizabeth! Can Wheeler pick me? (you see, normally when I go have lunch with him we eat out in the hall and Wheeler gets to pick 2 friends to come with us). Well, I explain that today, I'll be eating in the room with all of them. They either don't hear that or don't understand it because it goes on all the way down the hall. "Is Wheeler going to pick me?" "Wheeler never picks me."

Somehow on the way back down the hall they are beginning to get it. "Are you our teacher?" they ask. But they all ask it, one at a time, as if they didn't just hear the other one ask it. So 20 times I say, "Sort of, just while Ms. Holloway goes to have lunch with the other teachers."

So we get back in the room and Ms. Holloway has told me that the first 10 minutes of lunch is silent lunch, or they won't eat. They all know this, they do it every day. That's great! I'm thinking, 10 minutes of silence. Hah! I go to sit at Ms. Holloway's desk and one comes to give me a hug, I say thank you but go back to your seat and eat your lunch. Then comes the next one, then the next etc...So we go through that for about 10 kids. Funny thing about this, it's not Wheeler. He has no interest in giving me a hug or holding my hand while we walk down the hall, it is all the other ones. Finally, they are all in their seats, we have about 7 minutes to go on silent lunch, and they all start, one at a time of course, tattling! Tattling a little bit on each other but mostly tattling on Wheeler. Tattling on anything he might have done to them any time this past school year. "One time, Wheeler pushed me into the bathrooom.", "Wheeler doesn't eat his sandwich at lunch", "Wheeler's not nice, he wouldn't pick me to eat with him at lunch today" etc.... I just said over and over, "Tattling is talking too!" Didn't matter, they kept on.

In the meantime, one of them burps, LOUD!!. Well, if you don't know me, let me just tell you, that is not acceptable. All he can say is "I said excuse me". So he and I go round and round about closing your mouth, keeping your lips together and covering your mouth, make it as quiet as possible. Well, he does it 3 more times, then another one does is, then another one. And their response to me is..."I said excuse me" No matter how loud it was or how wide they opened their mouth. You would think they might stop after they saw the steam coming out of my ears.

After they eat, they line up to go to the bathroom, they have a bathroom in their class room so that is nice. One little girl I notice is in the front of the line to go to the bathroom next. But the next time I look up, she is still there, but the child who was behind her has now gone in. She is doing the dance, she needs to go bad! I say, "How come boy child went in? Girl child was next?" They all inform me that she is scared to go in to the bathroom by herself and close the door. Well I can't go with her, then the other 19 kids are left unsupervised. "What do I do?" I ask the wise 5 year olds. They tell me she has to go but leave the door open. "Okay, I say, go ahead and just leave the door cracked" But she is still scared and fixing to have a panic attack right there, or go to the bathroom on the floor one. Finally, with some coaxing and actual pushing (gentle ofcourse), I get her in the bathroom but have to stand in the doorway with the door closed to my hip.

Well, that's all I can take, we are going outside! Right now! So, I sit on the bench, and 6 of them sit right down with me. I shoo them away and tell them they need to run that energy off. They keep coming back, I keep shooing them away. Then of course, there is more tattling etc...

Finally, Ms. Holloway comes back and they all are elated to see her! But no one was as elated as I was!

Thank you Ms. Holloway for remaining calm around these little guys. Thank you for somehow, managing to teach them to read and write among all of this chaos!! You are greatly appreciated!

Mom Awards

I was in Kate's room last night and I noticed a note on her Bulletin Board.

Well, that was about a year ago when she broke her thumb but it reminded of the story behind it all. And how I know Dr. Greer was probably thinking he should turn me into DHR.

As you know, kids fall and get hurt all the time. A Ziploc with ice or a band-aid almost always makes it better. One day, while out shopping or somewhere and had forgotten to take my phone into the store with me (Mom mistake #1, I always try have my phone in case the school needs to call with an emergency), I have a voicemail from the school nurse. "Ms. Garrett, Kate has hurt her thumb in P.E., we just wanted to let you know so you can look at it when she gets home". Well it doesn't sound too serious but I call just so the school doesn't think I'm not paying attention at all. The nurse tells me she thought it was o.k., that she gave her an ice pack and sent her back to class.

So it comes time to pick her up after school and I have a car full. I carpool in this crazy neighborhood so I had atleast 5 or 6 kids in the car. Kate gets in first and goes all the way to the back of the van, where I can't see her thumb. So as we are pulling away and everyone is buckling up I say "Kate, how's you thumb?" She says, "O.K., I can't move it though". Okay, I know that should have been reason for concern, but I swear just 2 days before that she had hurt another finger and swore she couldn't move it, so I just figured it was the same kind of thing, plus, I had to ask, she didn't tell me anything about the thumb. So we get home, I drop off all the extra kids, I'm dealing with a sick cat...I forget all about the thumb.

At about 4:30, my college age niece comes over to help me with my cat and Kate comes joyfully bouncing into the living room, "Hey Jessi! Look at my thumb!" I am not kidding, that thing was black and blue, bent, and as big as my big toe! Jessi looks at me (budding doctor that she is) and says, "Have you seen this, I think you better take her to the doctor right now." So I call the doctor, they say come right in and when I get there of course the nurse is asking me when this happened and my answer is around 11:00 a.m. She barely looks at me while I'm fumbling with my explanation of why I just now bringing her to the doctor 6 hours later.

Well, because it is so late in the day, we had to sit in the doctors office for a long time, probably an hour in the patient room just waiting. About 30 minutes into sitting there, Wheeler crawls up in my lap, complaining that he's cold and that his throat hurts. I think he feels a little warm so the next time the nurse comes in I ask her to take his temperature. It's 102! They do a strep test, and it comes back immediately positive! I wasn't even there for him! Double whammy!

I'm thinking that Dr.'s office watches me closely everytime I go in there. I know they are thinking I deserve an award for such attentiveness to my kids.

And don't even ask me why the note to Dr. Godsil is on her bulletin board and not in the mail to the good doctor! Like I said, it was only a year ago, I've just been so busy!

Girls Campout Cake

Martha Stewart I am not, but I got this idea from Parents Magazine online (I think, I've already thrown away the printout). Kate wanted to have a Camp Out at our farm. So I went on line to find ideas...I got this one, and thought it was great! I didn't follow the directions exactly, I used my own creativity but didn't want to take full credit for the idea. I'm still pretty proud of it though.

I bought the cake, iced with the chocolate and green and added the girls in the sleeping bags. I just bought a can of vanilla icing, mixed small amounts with different colors of food coloring and iced 1/4 piece of graham cracker for sleeping bag. The girls faces are Mini Nilla Wafers. I do have one of those icing bags with the different tips for decorating the faces, but you can use the colored icing in the tubes from the grocery store (from Betty Crocker) but make sure you buy the tips so you can use the little writing tip. I also bought a can of chocolate icing for the brown. (I used the canned vanilla icing because it tastes so much better than the tube colored icing, yuch!) I let Kate decorate the sleeping bags and draw on the faces and hair of the girls.

The coolest part, I thought, was the fire, I broke some red and orange gum drops for the flames and covered them with pretzel sticks for logs. Then I put one candle right in the middle of the fire, for a real flame.

If you noticed the 2 extra campers freezing in back because they can't get near the fire for all the girls...That is Wheeler and Mitchel. Wheeler of course kept asking where he and Mitchell were so I let him make 2 more campers. (Really, he just wanted to mix the colors in the icing).

Mitchell doesn't really have yellow eyes.