Weekend in Nashville

I had several inquiries wondering where my blog post about my weekend was. We got in late on Sunday. I actually worked yesterday, attended the all important "ballet-costume-handing-out-session" and promptly fell asleep reading as soon as the kids were in bed. I'm finally getting around to it.

The weekend was great.

We arrived Thursday and met S#1 & BIL at the airport. We checked into the hotel and they checked into the race. We ate lunch & shopped downtown. With no other plans, we went to Trader Joe's. It may not have been the best time for BIL since he works there, but it was a highlight for me. I got a small supply of dark chocolate covered caramels. After TJ's we went to a baseball game.





That is where we found out that S#5 is engaged.

Friday we shopped at a Borders by Vanderbilt and visited the Parthenon across the street.



For lunch, we drove to the middle of nowhere to check out a bbq place I found on the internet, Martin's Barbeque. It was the best meal of the weekend.





Saturday was the race. I dropped them off at the start.



I drove downtown and parked the car. I saw S#1 & BIL go through the 2 mile mark but missed DH. I didn't have race map with me so I walked to mile 12.5 and waiting for them there.









We all took long naps that afternoon and went out for S#1's birthday dinner.

Sunday morning we dropped S#1 and BIL off at the airport and had a couple hours to fill. We drove out to a plantation but it didn't open until 11am. We trekked back to the other side of the city to check out The Hermitage, President Andrew Jackson's home.



They had a small museum and an audio walking tour, plus we picked up "The Presidents of the United States" place mats. Place mats are my present of choice to bring back to kids when we go out of town.

It really was a nice weekend. It was good to see my sister & BIL and celebrate her birthday. It was nice to get away for a few days. DH was very happy with his run. It was longer than his other runs, but it was a really hilly course. Part of me was happy that I didn't have to run the race. The other part of me was sad that I didn't get to run the race. There is one in November in San Antonio that some friends are going to run. I suppose I should test out my foot and see if I can join in the "fun".

Nashville and news

DH and I are in Nashville with Sister#1 and BIL#1. They are all running the 1/2 marathon on Saturday. I have a neuroma in my foot, so I got an out. I'm super happy because Nashville is rather hilly (at least in comparison to Dallas) and it is suppose to be stormy tornado like weather. I hope they survive.

Tonight, we're at a Nashville Sounds game. It is triple A ball and they are playing OK Redhawks, a Rangers farm team.

The coolest part about the evening: Sister#5 called to tell us she is engaged! We all screamed. Several of the people around us gave us some funny looks but who really cares, Mimi is getting married!!!!!

When he naps

B fell asleep on the couch yesterday around 2:40. We left to go get the kids just before 3:00. He had less than a 20 minute nap. Even that short sleep ruins bedtime.

This is what I found at 9:15 last night. B and his Football Guys.



(And, yes, my 4.5 year old still sleeps in his "cribby". It is where he is comfortable. Plus in the crib, he doesn't stop J from sleeping which is more important to me then moving B into a big bed.)

Results

Yesterday was the Derby Car race. It was exciting and fun. J won 2 of his three heats, but wasn't in the top 6 fastest cars, so no trophy. He did get a ribbon for "Wildest Paint Job" I'm He's so proud!

I didn't do the greatest job at photography. My problem was I was reading a new book and kept missing his heats.

I did get a couple of pictures.






A & B realized that they had an outlaw category and are planning on making cars for next year. (In fact the fastest car overall was a pink car entered by one kid's sister.) DH is still wondering why his J's car wasn't fastest. He's already talking about what he is going to do next year to do better.

Father Daughter Dance

Last night was the JCDA Father Daughter Dance. They invited the Girl Scouts to join in the event. A & DH decided to go last night. The theme was "Neon Nights". They had black lights and glow in the dark necklaces.



A had a fun time. DH said he was glad he went. He doesn't get an opportunity to spend time with just A very much.

Garden 2010

I haven't posted any garden pictures yet. A few weeks ago I turned the dirt and got a few plants in the ground. It's a start.


My oregano from last year survived winter and being covered by a wheelbarrow full of dirt thanks to B.



A finally got a strawberry plant.



Jalapeno plants for DH's poppers




I also put in a green pepper and two tomato plants. One of the tomatoes got squashed by a random child or animal. I returned it for a new one yesterday. The other one isn't looking too hot. Some little bugs have been attacking it leaves. I sprayed it down with some organic stuff and I'm hoping it will live.

B and I spent the day yesterday planting more. We put in a parley plant and seeds for basil and carrots. I've got cucumber, green bean and snow pea seeds waiting until J & A have time to help me, hopefully this weekend.

One more picture. The rain barrel the girl scouts made at the last meeting. This is going to go in the school garden.

derby car, take 2

We tried to decorate the derby car the other night. It didn't turn out so well. The car had been spray painted with a glossy black. When we peeled the painter's tape stencils off, the acrylic paint came with it. Not good.

Yesterday I went back to Jo-Ann's and got Sharpie paint pens (which I didn't buy the first time around because the acrylic paints were less expensive, teach me for going the cheap route.) I made new stencils and John (and I) painted it again.











DH weighed it down with tungsten putty and powdered the axles with graphite. He built a small ramp to test it out. It seems pretty straight.

He's hoping to win an award like his last time or even better, do really well racing like my friend's son.

no more complaining (maybe)

The boys have not been good sleepers lately. They have been waking me up 2-3 times a night. I'm not a good sleeper to begin with so the extra wake up times make me extra tired.

I just saw a facebook post that my friend Susan was up with her new baby changing diapers at 2:15.

No complaining allowed on my part. I was up at 2:15 too, but at least I didn't have to change a diaper.

Hopefully those adorable teeny tiny newborn diapers make up for the middle of night change!

lovely spring evening

We had a busy but lovely night.

J had a flag football game at 5:30



Blocked pass



We grilled out after the game. The temperatures are so nice right now. We have to take advantage before the sweltering heat of the summer.



I spent this afternoon cutting out flames from painters tape & J started painting his derby car. Hopefully it turns out cool.



Overall a good night. Now if the kids would only go to bed so I can too.

playing possum

DH got a wild hair this morning. He has these grand plans for making a kids' den in the attic and is trying to figure out where to put the staircase. He started measuring walls and moving garage stuff out of the way, which quickly led to going through everything on the shelves in the garage and clearing out. I think we're on our way to having a garage sale, but I'm not sure.

Anyway, he opened the door and yelled, "Come out here. Bring your camera, it's blog-worthy!" I wouldn't say DH is a huge fan of the blog, so for him to call something blog-worthy made me hurry.




Up on one of the garage shelves was a baby possom. He trapped it in a beer box. Pretty darn cute in a rat/rodent like way.




He wasn't too thrilled with being trapped in a box. Frankie went over to check him out and almost got nipped on the nose for his curiosity. It had some pretty fierce looking teeth.

DH tipped the box over and it ran off under the fence. Hopefully he won't come back.

Secret Crafting Blogged

Way back in January I started a new project. It took me awhile but I finally finished it. It took me another week to actually put it in a box and mail it. I got word today that the present had arrived, so I'm finally blogging the finished product.

My friend Susan is super-pregnant with her 5th child. More power to her. She's due the 22nd, c-section scheduled the 15th. She's praying she doesn't make it that long.

I thought of knitting her a baby blanket but I waited way too long to start. The new baby would have been 5 before I finished it. In January I read this post on her blog. Thank the heavens she didn't have a new baby with her that day.  If she had, she would have needed one of these. I had to make her one.


Here is the result.



It is made from fabric from City Craft and scraps from my mother's stash. The backing is a remnant of green fleece. Even if it isn't used as stroller blanket, it is a great size for the baby's tummy time.

Now we just have to sit back and wait for Baby#5 to arrive. Come on baby boy, it's time.

ETA: Baby Andrew is here. I guess it just took a blanket arriving to entice him out.

soccer

We found out at the last minute that J had a soccer game at 5:30. Of course it is on a busy day. A had choir and a project on a famous Texan to finish and DH had Dad's Club meeting. We managed everything except a home cooked meal and bed time was closer to 9pm instead of 8pm. Maybe tomorrow night.

J asked me to bring my camera and get pictures. I forgot my big lens. I don't like taking pictures of soccer games. If I want to get good pictures I have to stay at the sidelines and follow the game. I prefer to stand and chitchat while watching the game. The pictures reflect it. They are mostly from behind and from far away. Oh well, I took pictures.




(By the way, J is #99.)

I missed a shot of J scoring a goal because I was actually watching and screaming instead of staring through the camera. He told me before the game that he didn't want to play defense because he wanted to score a goal. The coach put him in at midfield and he scored. So exciting.

I took this picture of my niece. I love her freckles.

Opening Day

We headed out to the Ballpark in Arlington for Opening Day today with Sister #2 and 3 of her 4 girls. It was a good day.

We dropped off the tickets and A at my sister's house and picked up my niece M. DH was antsy to get there early for all the "festivities" and to miss the traffic. We got down there quickly with no traffic. He was happy.

First we watched batting practice. There was a free concert before the game. I fist-bumped this guy. He's the lead singer of Cowboy Mouth, a band that DH and I never missed when they came to town before we had children. We met up with my sister & the girls at the concert. They played a few songs we actually knew but it's hard to get a crowd of 50 people really rocking at 11am on a Monday.

Next we headed into the stadium to our seats. They had lots of pre-game activities.

A huge flag for the national anthem.


Jets flying overhead


A double amputee parachuted in with the first ball (pictures didn't turnout, but here's a link to pic on Sister#2's blog) which was thrown out by Roger Staubach (which I missed taking children to the restroom).

Excited fans
Niece M


DH & J (B was hiding from the camera)


The game itself wasn't that great for the most part. The first 4 innings were especially bad for me because this was my view.


Luckily after the 5th the guys went for beer and switched seats around. I was finally able to watch the game. There was a great 3 run homerun to tie the game in the 7th and a dramatic come from behind win the bottom of the 9th. M & J weren't really paying attention and asked why everyone was cheering. I told them we won and they got excited.

Happy Easter

Hope everyone has a beautiful day!



My dogwood tree in bloom

When does Lent end?

I read that Lent ends at 3pm on Holy Friday. Other sources via google say that Lent ends with the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday.

Either way, officially, I could totally binge on Diet Coke today. Or should I hold out for one more day?

I guess I'll see how the day goes and if I need it versus really want it. I know I really want it. Still.

I think I can hold out for 1 more day.