Chattanooga Post #2

Next stop on our Chattanooga Choo Choo was the Tennessee Aquarium. It was a beautiful day, and we arrived downtown around 10:00. We walked around the area for around forty-five minutes just soaking in the local surroundings! I love downtown Chattanooga, well at least this part of it. I've never been anywhere else in the city, but this part is great! Whoever their city planner was did a great job!

Look closely at the top of that arch and you can see Huett and Sam's little heads peeking through the rails.


Take a closer look! They were so excited about being there again! They remember going last time, and they couldn't wait to go up!


First stop, the sting ray tank! Their little arms weren't long enough to reach down to the bottom of the water to actually feel one of the sting rays but they sure did have a good time splashing around into the water!

Then into the butterfly world or whatever you want to call it. It was a little crowded because we somehow unfortunately managed to enter this side of the aquarium in the middle of an elementary school class so we didn't stop long enough to try to let them land on us like we did last time! I did, however, manage to go national geographic on the animals and take some pretty artsy fartsy pictures, which you are experiencing now!

I really like this one. They had something I can only liken to fruit shish-kabobs (not to be confused with Trish-kabobs) that hung on fishing line from the tree branches. They looked tasty to me, but I practiced some restraint and left those to the butterflies! What a pretty picture though!

These are some of the other sting rays that you were not allowed to touch! Oh, yeah! When Mikey was "touching" the sting rays we met earlier, he broke the rules and actually grabbed one. Disgusting, right? Anyway, that thing circled its body back around and bent in half so fast like it was going to bite him. It scared the bejeezus out of him. It was hilarious, and I am surprised that we didn't get kicked out of there on the spot! I kindly reminded him that Steve Irwin was killed by a sting ray!

Here is one of the macaws. At the aquarium. I don't get it, either.

This macaw said,

"What am I doing in a freakin' aquarium? I am neither fish nor amphibian! I don't belong here!"

Next, on to the penguin exhibit!

The penguins relevance, I get. Seeing that they live in and out of the Antarctic Ocean and everything. And they're totally awesome! It makes perfect sense. They are such funny creatures! They really are just like the cartoons that make fun of them! They are like weebles. They wobble but they don't fall down! And, they are deceptively fast under the water!

They boys were really excited about the tanks you could climb inside of! Lucky for them, at this point there weren't any other kids around so they got to stay in there for a while!

Sam kept posing like this all day. Not really sure why. I think it's his was of telling everyone, "Look at me, I'm the man." Duly noted, Sam.

Mikey went up ahead of us, and when we rounded the corner he was waiting inside this aquarium. The boys thought that was hilarious! Also in this section, the video of a seahorse giving birth. In the seahorse species, the male gives birth. In what I can only explain as his bellybutton are all the baby seahorses. When it's time to give birth, they shoot out into the water. Like one-hundred of them! It's like every time his muscles contract more shoot out. It's disturbing, and it must be seen. Google it.

We also ate at Cheeburger Cheeburger which is just a short walk from the aquarium. The boys really liked it, and so did we. Their food came in these little cars. Sam had a jelly sandwich and Huett just ate french fries. We had hamburgers that were yummy! And milkshakes, of course milk shakes!

Next stop...coming soon!

.

BTW

Charlie isn't showcased in this post because he had a major blowout that required an entire wardrobe change right after we left the restaurant and headed for the aquarium. Once that was over with he passed out and slept in his stroller almost the entire time. Rest assured that he was there!

Chattanooga Post #1

The first adventure on our trip was to Ruby Falls. Well, actually the first real adventure we had was the last-minute plans to dash away on our mini-vacation! We had mentioned it once in passing, but around 4:00 in the afternoon, we decided to go. I booked the room right after I picked the boys up from preschool and we were on the road by seven that night! Exciting, right? It really was! They were absolutely beside themselves, and honestly, so were we! We'd never done anything like this before!

.

Nevertheless, we arrived around 11:00 and got into our room! They were bouncing off the walls...more precisely the beds, of which we had three! That was a pleasant surprise. It had a separate room that had a "wet bar" whatever that really is. Basically a sink, mini-fridge, coffee-maker and microwave, with a couch-bed and the bathroom! Anyway, it had it's own TV which I was able to set on the "soundscapes" channel since I forgot his sound machine. Charlie slept in there. That allowed us to stay up and watch TV with Huett and Sam without bothering Charlie. What a little unexpected blessing!

.

So, of course we woke up with the sun the next morning and after attending a magnificent continental breakfast, which included omelets, sausage, eggs, cereal, bagels, toast, and waffles, which you got to make yourself we were off to...the pool!

Charlie's first adventure into the pool went off without a hitch! He loved it, and so did the big boys!

Now back to our first stop! We went to Ruby Falls. It was a dreary drizzly day, so going deep underground was perfect!

They were pretty excited!

Here we are in the gift shop waiting on our tours to begin!
My little excavators!


This is exactly how Mikey and Charlie spent the majority of the mile long trip to the falls and back. Charlie got toted the entire time because the cave was definitely not stroller-friendly, which was just fine with him! Mikey spent most of the walk hunched over because the cave ceilings and all of the stalactites hung down far too low for his 6'4" frame.
Can you say backache?

Sam did pretty good on the trip, however, his strength did begin to wane towards the end of the trek. Totally understandable though because it was a lot of ups and downs., and he is only three years old!

Charlie was loving all the attention he was getting from the people that were on the trail behind us because, like you saw earlier, he was looking behind us the entire time!

Huett did great, and later told us that this was his favorite part of the whole trip. Well, besides the hotel pool, of course!

I know this picture isn't very clear, but this was taken at the waterfall inside the cave, which is completely magnificent! Obviously this picture doesn't do it justice! I saw it when I was little, but I don't remember it being that impressive. Little known fact...the scientists have no idea where the water for the falls originates, but they put dye in the water so they know it drains into the Tennessee River.

Any way, I love the looks on their faces! I wish this picture were clearer!

Next stop, the Incline Railway! This was a fun little adventure too because Mikey is incredibly acrophobic, or afraid of heights. It was a little train car that went from the tip top of Lookout Mountain, straight down to the bottom! It was like a seventy degree incline. Luckily for him, it went really slow! Still, the thought of it malfunctioning and becoming a runaway train car was enough to keep it interesting!

This was a look we got to see a lot of during our trip! Utter excitement!

Atop the platform above the incline railway we attempted yet another family pic! Huett has developed a bad habit of covering his eyes every time I try to take a picture of him, even if it isn't sunny! That's what you're seeing here!

These two! Charlie loves his daddy, and I love this picture!

So there you have it, the first of our adventures in the great state of Tennessee!

More posts to come!

Rub a dub dub three men in a tub!

I don't know if I've ever mentioned it on here before, but Charlie used to hate his baths. Not like just a little bit, but like a ~drastic burst a blood vessel in his eye~ kinda blood curdling scream.

Of late, things have changed, and he is loving it! This bath seat that he's sitting in has been passed down through all three of my sons. It has been a god-send and well worth it's weight in gold. If I ever doubted it before, Charlie has proved it once again! He went from hating bath-time, and getting as few baths as possible(I'm embarrassed to say) to taking them quite often now.

You'd be surprised at how great I've gotten at multi-tasking from the toilet.

With the lid closed, of course, while he plays and splashes his little heart away!
Huett and Sam think it's hysterical when he splashes so crazily!

I think it's pretty hilarious too!


He won't be in his bathseat long, so I'm trying to enjoy these last first "big boy" baths!
And, Thank God, so is he!

Noccalula Falls

In mid-March, we headed to Gadsden to celebrate one of Mikey's aunt's birthdays! We ate Mexican, which was yummy, and then we headed to Noccalula Falls!

Unfortunately, we got there right as the park closed (5PM on a sunny spring Saturday?? whaaa??) I did, however, manage to snap some great pictures of the big boys as we crossed over the waterfall, and at a nearby park!

I am having a serious internal debate about whether I should spend the $$ to buy a photo editing program(that I actually understand b/c Adobe Photoshop, I don't get) b/c the one I like lets you sample what you could do, and I love what I did with these pictures! Which you couldn't see on here! It's Flickr and Picnik by the way!

When Trisha saw this picture, she said, " We are going to have to beat girls off him with a stick. What are we going to do?" I have to say I agree and am appropriately worried!


This apparatus was pretty cool! It spun around and he looked like he was flying!

Hambone!

Climbing the ladder.

Sliding!

Another feeble attempt at a decent family picture. Atleast the waterfall was flowing wonderfully!

There were people walking around behind the waterfall and all near the water's edge! We must try that next time!

This was right where the Indian princess jumped from. So tragic. The stuff of legends!

Huett was throwing rocks over the waters edge for quite a while!

He kept looking for just the right ones to throw over the edge!

All in all, we had a blast! Can't wait to go back when we can spend the whole day!

If anybody has any recommendations about the photo editing thing, I'd appreciate any insight...

R.I.P.

Julia Sugarbaker, the matriarch of the Sugarbakers Interior Design Firm, based out of Atlanta has died this past weekend.

She is survived by her husband Reese Watson, who was often out of the picture as much as he was in and was famously not fond of camping.

She is also survived by her sister Suzanne, former Miss Georgia World, her pet pig Noel, and her illegal immigrant maid Consuela.

Also survived by Mary Jo and her husband J.D.,

Charlene and her husband Bill, airforce pilot, and their daughter Olivia,

Eventual lawyer, previous handy-man, Anthony Bouvier and his whimsical showgirl wife Etienne, and last but not least,

She was preceded in death by Bernice, the goofy senior citizen who frequented the office.

rest in peace Julia, at the big design house in the sky.

May your drapes always be beautiful, may your sofa match just so, and may your baby grand piano always be playing "Georgia on my Mind".

ava kneivel

In a moment of temporary insanity, my dad and husband suited Ava Claire up in her bicycle helmet and radio-flyer tricycle and put her at the top of mom and dad's driveway and let her fly down their driveway and across the street into the neighbor's yard.

I bet she was going atleast 20 mph.

Crazy, right?

She is completely fearless, and this is a trait I am glad my sons don't have. Neither of them even considered trying it from the top. Sam tried it from the bottom of the driveway and he still freaked out.


Her she is as she passes into the neighbors yard. And yes, she is airborn. Mikey was there cheering her on.



Here she is, ready to do it again.

Don't worry, after Trisha saw her do it just once,
she forbid them to ever let her do that again. So these pictures are the only proof we'll ever have that this ever happened.
Let's all hope Ava Claire develops atleast some sense of fear in the near future
if for nothing more than our peace of mind.

just a swingin'

Thank God Spring is finally here!

These kids have been dying to get outside!

And we've been dying to be able to take them to the park and


Just let them loose!
Ahhh the pleasures of spring!
Could not have gotten here soon enough!!