Team Behringer

Reheating Brownies

2009-12-01T16:11:00.005-05:00

Brownie Year 2 has started up again, but it doesn't officially begin until we participate in the official Girl Scout-Starting up again-ceremony.

As with most of these type of events, much waiting is involved.
And picture taking.
Isn't this fun?

Each troop is asked to participate in one part of the event. Troop 476 was selected to do the readings and candle lighting - the coolest part of the ceremony by far.

And it always ends with fun...

Is this work? Really?

2009-11-17T18:40:00.007-05:00

ButterflyFest is a huge event the Museum puts on each year where I volunteer to help kids in the arts and crafts area. Including my own.
Salamander IdentificationKiss a Toad StationHello Mr. GatorCan we keep him?Go GATORS!Feed a beeFunny how they are willing to practically pet these bees but at home they scream bloody murder if one buzzes by.All in all, not a bad place to work.

HaPpY HaLLoWeeN!

2009-11-16T20:03:00.005-05:00

First is the cemetery set up. We don't see too many trick or treaters on our street so Don decided to lure the victims in with orange lights on the tree.This kids cracks me up.Ummm.... he'll have to explain this one.Second, the school parties:And the day he starts mixing it up in a mosh pit, I will look back and know exactly where to place the blame.

Third, the main event. You can see why we opted for the pirate at school instead of the official costume.

G is for Gators

2009-11-15T22:58:00.008-05:00

It's Gators all the time here in Gainesville but it isn't so often you get to meet a few of the athletes, especially from the football team and especially at a pre-school. Lucky for Grant (and Don), the team physician's son attends Grant's school - which led to the secretary bugging him to bring a few players in for the staff (oh, I mean students...) to meet. And thanks to Don's carelessness, he got the privilege of being there to meet them as well.

This is how Grant reacted to meeting Santa, Spiderman and broccoli for the first time too:Don picked up Grant from school the day before and did not collect Grant's "daily note" stating that the players were coming the next day and the kids should wear Gator gear. So, that morning when I collected the note, I wasn't sure whether to call Don to bring in his jersey or drive home myself to get it. After a bit of self debate, I decided to let Don have the fun.

Now, had it been Tim Tebow they were meeting...

Story Time:

Hmmm... I'm a bit skeptical about their abilities to read...

Markihe Anderson, Ryan Stamper, James Wilson. And Ms. Angie, loving it!GO GATORS!

Always an Adventure

2009-11-15T12:48:00.009-05:00

The McMullens fall break gives us an excuse each year to ditch school and work and visit Disney. This year we opted for a park we hadn't visited yet: Islands of Adventure.

First, we adventured in Super Hero land. We thought for sure this would be Grant's favorite but between being too shy to meet Spiderman and too scared on the 3-D Spiderman ride, he proved that theory wrong. He was most content to just stare at the larger than life graphic art.The rest of us loved the Spiderman ride. It was my fave of the park.Jurassic Park was hot and humid and full of life life dinosaurs. Really, they were truly life like.We would highly recommend the Jurassic Park River Adventure - more realistic life size dinosaurs that ends with a near miss by a screaming T rex. Grant kept his head buried the whole time while I covered his ears. Good times.

He was cool with this neat slide though.The biggest, fastest, coolest rides were still no match for the excitement of an inch worm stuck to a pair of shorts.The wet rides were the kids faves. Donna and I were lamenting our decision to ride one after we had to walk around w/ wet underwear the rest of the day.Even if it had been a substantial injury, I don't think it would have stopped her.And in case you were confused...Dr. Seussland...Two of our favorite things...Is that the Lorax I see in the Truffela trees?And no Dr Seuss trip would be complete w/o meeting Mr. Grinch.

As they say in Georgia, Happy Fall Y'all

2009-10-23T17:46:00.004-04:00

Scott and Dary held their first (official) Parktoberfest this year. A slew of their friends (including us) traveled to their cabin and enjoyed perfect weather, fall festivities and lots of fun in the Georgia mountains.

And it began like this...How many PhDs does it take to...Pumpkin "picking"... I'll take one of each please.Orangey goodness...Grandpa would be jealous...How do I pick just 10?Pale pumpkins are just cool. So are the warty ones.Down time...The pursuit of boiled peanut happiness.Ah, country.Happy Fall Y'all...

Back to School

2009-09-17T20:12:00.003-04:00

Olivia, Second Grade. Grant, Pre-K.Unfortunately my fave picture is the blurry one. Never fails.

End of Freedom

2009-09-17T19:41:00.008-04:00

September really doesn't bring the end of summer for us Floridians but it does bring the end of our lazy, unstructured days.

What will I miss the most? Going to the beach, a lot.
Hanging at the pool, a lot.Going tubing in the middle of the week.
Apple Snail eggs Even the early summer series swim meets were lots of fun.Even Grant had some fun.Olivia did great too - I think at some point she earned a ribbon of each color. For some reason we don't have a photo of the treasured blue one.

Summer wasn't all unstructured. Olivia and Grant spent many days at GASP - a summer camp run by a teacher at Olivia's school. It was still much fun for them.

Songs about the senses.Oh those eyes.

The Eastern Shore

2009-08-30T22:02:00.009-04:00

We wrapped up our Virginia visit with a few days on the eastern shore in Chincoteague. More sun, fun and food. We spent a day at the beach, a day on our bikes and a day on the boat. Not too shabby.

Beach Bums...Bike Bums...and Boat Bums...While much of the eastern shore gives you the feeling that time has stopped, there is some evidence that it does march on... the Assateague lighthouse is getting a re-do soon...Wave riding (that's a given)...Grant and Aunt Karen catching some breeze...Oh Captain, my Captain...And the funny part of this picture is supposed to be us winking like Mr. Baldy but Dad's tshirt steals the show. Only he could get away w/ wearing something like this... or would want to...And no Assateague trip is complete without spotting the wild ponies...And yes, mom's girdle is still there... 30 years-ish and counting. Revisit: Grandma's Girdle.
Love the eastern shore...

Carry Me Back to Ol' Virginny

2009-08-26T22:19:00.011-04:00

The past couple of years we have been heading back to Virginia in August and it always seems to work out that I drive up with the kids while Don flies up from wherever he is at the time and meets us the next day or so. He's got it tough. But I have to say, for an 11.5 hour drive, it's not bad. And we don't even turn the DVD player on until South Carolina somewhere.

Welcome to Manassas!and to a fantastic farmer's market!
Dragonfruit, not purchased at the farmer's market, brought up by Don. Beautiful, but not much taste. What flavor there is, is a bit kiwi-like. And mangoes too!Mom, Dad and Karen took the kids to the Prince William County Fair - biggest in the state! when Don and I went out one evening to catch with some of my old high school friends. We were very tempted to skip it and go to the fair - it is a great fair. Unfortunately, Grandpa forgot the camera.

The next day Don, Dad and I ventured off to do some antiquing, with a side stop for some wine tasting. We hit a new winery this time - - not my fave Virginia wine but it was a beautiful winery. Unfortunately it was my turn to forget the camera. We did have Don's phone and used it to capture the thrill of driving down one of the many back roads on our country drive.

Picture to come... once I get it off Don's phone...

Otherwise we (Nacho too) spent our time lounging by the pool, exploring the yard, catching up with fam and friends and eating good food.Then, it was off to the eastern shore...

21c

2009-08-24T22:33:00.016-04:00

If you ever find yourself in Louisville, KY, I highly recommend the 21c hotel - part hotel, part museum and probably the coolest place I've stayed the night, other than the $8/night room Don and I splurged on in Coba, Mexico.

I traveled there for a workshop for an exhibit we are bringing to the museum in Summer 2011. The exhibit was good, the city was nice but I never wanted to leave the hotel. So with the brief spare time I had, I spent it lingering there. And you'll see why.

First of all, you know you are in a swank hotel when they sell the soaps in your bathroom for $10/bar in the gift shop.And they are almost worth it.

Mint Juleps anyone?Never been to a hotel with an ipod before. It was preprogrammed with more music than one could listen to in a lifetime. If I had another day I think I would have spent it listening to all the cool music I had never heard before.But really, the true mark of a 5 star stay? A rubber duckie in your tub.As you can see, it took a lot to just get me to leave my room. My travel mate was tired of my picture snapping and threatened to throw me and my camera out the window if we didn't vamonos. She had no idea that for me, the fun had just begun. Each floor had a different chandelier. Mine was a funky scissor design.You needed a room key to use the elevator for the hotel but the main lobby was open to the public.There was quite a bit to see so I will leave you with the piece that made the biggest impression on me.This photo series was taken by Adriaan Van der Ploeg in Holland, Belgium and China. The artist tracked down On-Line-Game-Commuties and asked young gamers to pull away from their computers just long enough to take a picture of them just out of "battle." These online, multiplayer games (Call of Duty, World Warcraft, and a World War II game) set in a fantasy world are played by youth continuously for days and often mimic or exaggerate real world violence.

The gamers disconnected gaze, bloodshot eyes, chapped lips, pale skin are captured in razor-sharp clarity.From the caption: "Van der Ploeg's photographs capture a rarely seen perspective of the gaming industry, displaying everyday reality and revealing his models as caricatures of themselves. Online, these boys transmute themselves into muscle-bound heroes with magic powers. Offline, the photos series documents a mass media generation, dominated by young men.

As a whole, the series alludes to a phenomenon of popular culture with over 7 million users worldwide that does not discriminate by age, class or culture. The seemingly youthful portrayal of Van der Ploeg's subjects is an ironic juxtaposition to the violent and addictive nature of the online gaming community."

Whoa. I had no clue. After chatting with some colleagues, I learned more. Apparently there have been several news reports about all this that I have missed... such as the one about the Kansas couple who was taken into custody for starving their child because they could not stop playing.

And on a lighter note...

Ahhhh, art.

Unfortunately, the weather was absolutely gorgeous so I did venture outside.

21c is covered in red penguins... even at the tippy top. And see the sign that reads "Proof?" That is the bar, where a shot of scotch (or something like that... this info was relayed to me by another workshop goer) will cost you $20. So while my first suggestion is to stay at 21c, my second suggestion is to have someone else pay for it.Louisville Slugger Museum. I didn't go in, no time (or particular interest).To kill time while waiting for a cab I had more fun with this setup than I probably should have.It was between the elevators.There was some projector in the wall that could detect movement so as you passed by or held out your arm or moved any part of your body, the continuously falling letters would get held up or bumped up. Sometimes they spelled sentences and other times it was random letters falling.You can see the sensor here (the black dot).I just re-read my explanation and realized I didn't do a very good job of explaining. Another reason you need to go to the 21c.

Celebrating independence on Independence Day

2009-08-09T13:40:00.007-04:00

We've wanted to go camping for a LONG time and just never did.

Partly because Don has a "thing" for camping in the mountains. Despite all the gorgeous places to camp in Florida (yes, winter only), he wouldn't do it.

And partly because I have a "thing" for driving 11 hours to reach those mountains for just a w'end stay.

One day it was decided we needed to just do it. This decision was "conveniently" made post winter, effectively taking Florida camping out of the equation. Don, Scott and Dara researched a few places and decided to head to the Great Smoky National Park to backcountry camp.

Yes, I said backcountry camping. The kind where you hike a few miles in, carrying all needed supplies with you - including a shovel to dig your own toilet.

Apparently I'm the only realist in the group (aka a mom with kids) and I quickly put in my two cents for car camping. The good friends and family they are, they acquiesced. However, since we "conveniently" decided to go on July 4 w'end, all car camping spots were taken.

Backcountry camping it was to be.

And in the end, I'm soooo glad they made me do it. It was an awesome experience - helped by the fact that we had nearly perfect weather, no bugs, no bears and fixins' for mojitos.

Here's to celebrating independence!

(You need to roll your cursor over the photos to read captions)

Marsh Walk

2009-08-08T21:00:00.007-04:00

One of our favorite beach activities is a marsh walk. This year we could access one right on the beach so we ventured there almost daily. The kids (all of us) love to explore and it gives Uncle Don and Cousin Nate a chance to show off their ecological knowledge.

Found something!Lots of hermit crabs were found.Hermit crab race - which would come out of it's shell first?Hermit crab tracks as it raced back to the water.One cool find was this horse conch. When we first found it, it was trying to eat a large clam. Another find - the elusive fibb-a-ler crab...

A channel cut through from the marsh to the ocean. Provided a fun place to swim to cross and get stranded...and to cross and get cut... by the hidden oyster beds. Don got cut too but his wasn't as glamorous as mine. And then of course, Popka had to show us all up a few days later (previously discussed).

Love the marsh...

Born to Boogie

2009-07-13T21:16:00.004-04:00

Olivia loves the ocean. She spent nearly every possible moment in it. No exaggeration. She'd go in by herself when everyone else was oceaned out and swim, jump waves and boogie board.

Her beloved board. Even more beloved because it once belong to Scott. Scott, isn't it nice to know your board has a happy and well loved home?Paddling.Caught one!Don't you just want to pinch 'em?!Oh how I love my boogie board...

Wild Dunes - not so much and oh so much

2009-07-12T10:40:00.023-04:00

Our annual Behringer/McMullen vacation took us back to the Charleston, SC area but this time to a resort a little north of Isle of Palms. We stayed at Wild Dunes. And the poor economy allowed us to stay in a gorgeous, spacious condo...reeaalllyyy nice.

The interesting thing about Wild Dunes is that it's not so wild. Well, except for the weather, but more on that later. The dunes have not only been removed but replaced by a golf course. Yes, a water hog golf course on top of sand. Can you imagine the amount of water needed to keep it green? And without the protection of dunes it is constantly exposed. In fact, while we were there they were repairing one of the holes that had been damaged by a storm last year.

However, did I mention that it was a reeaalllyyy nice place to stay? It was and I'd stay there again, for sure.

Olivia and Popka relaxing and enjoying the view. It only rained the day we arrived and the day before we left.Grant and his truck.Grant and his humor.Olivia and her friend.
Each year she meets a friend. Usually she plays with them all week but this year it was for just one day. I don't think this little girl liked to swim or boogie board which is ALL Olivia wanted to do. So, a lasting friendship was not meant to be.Ben and his sports.
Ben and certainly Uncle Matt (aka "PPLC" - Pied Piper of Little Children) were very patient in allowing Grant to "play" paddle ball, football, baseball and every other type of ball that Ben was into. Often, he best served as ball boy...Sand Castlers:Full View. Matt and I put in our time as well, digging those moats and channels. But apparently there was some hierarchy in place where we were labeled lower tier sand castlers and I believe that did not allow us to be photographed.Nate's Castle... just before Ben knocked a wall down, inciting a small brawl.We all know the beach wears kids out. Little ones especially.But they each took their turns to just relax.

Ben and Olivia preferred towels and shade.Nate preferred the surf at his feet.Grant preferred a hole.Ouch! And you should have seen it the next day!!Our last beach day proved to be the most eventful. It's late afternoon and most of us were in the condo finishing up lunch, leaving Mimi and Popka to enjoy some quiet beach time. On our way back out, we noticed the big beach tent had toppled over and tumbled down the beach. And there was Popka on his knees looking dazed and confused. Apparently a gust of wind had picked up the tent and slammed him, on the face! As some were inspecting the wounded, others were collecting the tent.

But it turns out, it wasn't over yet. Just as Popka and Mimi started heading in, the winds picked up again. And we aren't talking just a slight breeze -it went from 0 to 15 then immediately 15 to 60. Our stuff started blowing everywhere. Tubes sailing down the beach in a blink of an eye, rain falling, sand whipping our legs and faces and worst of all, drinks spilling. Mimi and Popka started herding kids to the walkway while Don/Matt/Donna and I started collecting our things. No one could grab much because of the sand blowing in our eyes and mouths but I grabbed Olivia's beloved boogie board and Grant. The other kids made it to the walkway, but not him. He seemed frozen in place. So just as I had him secured behind the boogie board, I heard Matt yell "WATCH OUT FOR THE UMBRELLAS!" We all turned to see 4 -5 beach resort umbrellas (those big ones attached to chairs that people can rent) tumbling at us. It was a bit like being in a live video game, dodging them as you didn't know which way they would spin or turn as the wind moved them. They had literally snapped off and were flying at us.

And just like that, it was over. The whole event felt like it lasted for 10 minutes but it really was only a minute or so. And there we all stood staring at each other - covered in rain and sand, Popka dripped in dried blood, standing in a graveyard of limes.

Epilogue:
Popka got several stitches and a sticker for being a good patient.

The rest of us enjoyed a gorgeous remaining afternoon. And we even found an unclaimed boat that blew our way. So the PPLC and kids enjoyed it...

...for only a short time. I looked up one moment and saw Olivia far down the beach. As I went to retrieve her, she hopped out of the boat and started to walk in. But as she grabbed for the rope, the boat blew away from her and tumbled away. Maybe it is sailing with the lost inner tube somewhere.

Nacho Cheese Behringer

2009-07-11T23:18:00.007-04:00

Somehow I sweet talked Don into a cat.

We acquired Nacho a few weeks ago from a colleague of mine. Due to her husband's job taking him all over campus, and his soft heart for cats, he rescued a litter of feral kittens found by a sorority house. She recalled a comment I made about liking orange cats and mentioned they were harboring two of them in their bath tub at home. I was sold immediately - on both of them.

Now, when I say "sweet talked" Don - not really. He is a sucker for cats. It's just that he is highly allergic to them. Wait, no, how did the allergist put it?? Oh yes... "I've seen more people allergic than you are, but not many. You are extremely allergic." Like, off-the-charts-allergic. I guess the "sucker for cats" part won over the "extremely allergic" part because it really didn't take much convincing. So needless to say, I had to compromise and only get one kitten. We agreed that he will be part outdoor cat once he is old enough. Good thing too, because it turns out that Grant is allergic too.

Meet Nacho.Could she be any happier? When we picked him up, Olivia didn't realize we actually were keeping him. I was trying to capture her reaction on video and she wasn't really reacting like I thought she might. Just a bit too nonchalant. She held him, pet him, cooed over him and then as we were leaving she handed him back. It appears she didn't hear me (hmm, imagine that) tell her "he is yours." So I repeated it as I re-handed him to her.

I captured the afterglow of her realization. It think it's pretty obvious she is in love...Other name considerations:
Mr. Whiskers
Tiger
Catty Me-a (Grant's contribution)
Mango
Cheeto

Nacho won the family vote.

Love the extended claws on both paws.His play house purchased to help occupy those claws.Who me? I would never claw up this one beautiful piece of furniture you own.The life...Next up... a dog.

A Memorial Weekend in Georgia

2009-07-08T19:04:00.011-04:00

We spent memorial weekend with the Parks at their cabin and when we arrived, we were greeted and treated to some of their home grown produce. YUM!

Farmers Scotty and Dary:This very well may be the first time we hiked without rain... it sprinkled, but no downpour. YAY!

We hiked a trail at Lake Conasauga...Lots of beavers in the area...Jack in the pulpitFun in the creek Post hikeWe also spent some time at Scott's mom's house and in the stream that runs through her property.
Olivia, not surprisingly, the first brave soul working up the courage.But pretty soon, they were all in.Seriously, does it get any more wholesome than this?Even Riley got a little wet. Don't you just want to give her a hug?Shoreline stabilizersPretty mountain azaleasThese daisies made me smile.Some interesting arthropod finds:

A centipede...A millipede...Olivia and her salamander...Closeup

Second Swim Meet

2009-07-08T16:37:00.004-04:00

Olivia competed in her second meet in May. As seasoned veterans since her first meet, we knew what to expect this time. Except this time she was to swim 50m races and dive off the blocks.

Turns out the diving off the blocks part wasn't so bad and these blocks are much higher than the practice blocks. But swimming 50m was a different story. She crushed the breast stroke and survived the free. We only entered two events this time since Grant was along for the ride. There was no way he'd survive a full meet in the hot sun.

Hanging with the coaches...Just before a race...Nerves of steel...And she's off...She placed second in this heat, but you can't see her because I snapped the pic when she was underwater. She is in the "empty" lane...Is this meet over yet!?!Hanging with Allie...Tips from Coach Mike...The girlz...

More than the end of the year

2009-06-30T21:20:00.012-04:00

This end of the year program was a little more than just the end of the school year for Grant. It is the end of his time at First Presbyterian Preschool. I want to thank First Pres (I think) for helping pull Grant out of his shell. It is a small, nurturing school, just what he needed. While it was perfect for years 2 1/2 - 3, we are in search of a little more for year 4.

One story that stands out in my mind was told to me by his teacher at our parent conference. She asked if Grant ever sings or performs for us at home.

No, not really, other than dancing around with Olivia, but nothing on his own.

Oh, really?
Well, each morning during share time, the teacher would ask if anyone had a story or song to share. And each morning, the girls in the class would volunteer to do just that. One particular morning, Grant raised his hand and said he had a song.

Really?? Grant got up and sang a song to the whole class?

The teacher expected, well, a song. He stands up and turns to face the class and starts making noises - all kinds of noises but mostly of the robotic, gun shooting, explosion type sounds, while wiggling his fingers and twisting his body. This lasted for about a minute. When he was finished, the teacher asked him what song that was and he said it was the "Transformers" song... which is funny because he hasn't seen the Transformers movie or cartoons. She tells me that each morning from then on, he would get up and "sing" his Transformers song.

I've tried to get him to do a repeat at home and he won't. So my only regret is that I didn't sneak in and film him from the bathroom.

Now that he is fully out of his shell, I wonder if the next school can help put some of him back? Just kidding...

End of the year performance...

Is it over yet?Seriously, I'm about to burst...Yay! Finally!Mommy and Grant...The best part... cupcakes with my BFF Weston...Maybe the ear tastes better?

Lobster Perks

2009-06-15T10:34:00.007-04:00

One of the perks of being married to a Lobsterologist is that we get to eat some of his research subjects.

One of his perks is getting to travel to cool places for workshops and conferences.

In May, he gave a talk at Bigelow Lab in Maine and returned with lobsters of the other kind. Sweet Maine lobsters – the kind with the big claws that we don’t get down here in Florida.

While I enjoy eating them, I can’t deal with the boiling part. In fact, I had to leave the kitchen. There was no way I could watch this cute face meet his demise.

The kids enjoyed it though.And we all enjoyed dinner...

May 29, 2009

2009-06-14T21:39:00.006-04:00

Is she REALLY 7 years old?!?!? Really hard to believe. Especially when we see her like this...with an ipod.

Well, actually it is a knock-off. There was no way we were going to buy a girl who has lost 4 pairs of goggles in 4 months time the real deal ipod. It works the same and she doesn't know the difference.

I just can't believe she is 7. It seems like yesterday we were feeding her out of syringes and hoping she'd get over the 5 lb mark. Now here she is, one of the tallest in her class. And listening to ipods. At least she still plays dress-up and barbies.
and guns.
Well, not really. She'll play with Grant for about 5 seconds and then it's back to barbies.But... one thing they do enjoy together is the Wii. Thanks to Mimi and Popka, we now belong to the "cool family with a Wii" club. Boxing is Grant's favorite game - go figure. I have yet to play it b/c I have this secret addiction to video games. Believe it or not, I really do. So, I haven't gone there yet... but it sure will become tempting on one of these hot summer days.

May 18, 2009

2009-06-14T21:28:00.004-04:00

I'm sad to say that Grant is now four years old. Sad only in that we've enjoyed every step of the way with him and I'm sad to say goodbye to the threes... but, that said, we surely will look forward the next year as well.

We celebrated at school and at home. I took the easy way out this year and simply baked him a 2 layer cake topped with a toy spiderman. He loved it.Closeup...He really only asked for two things this year: the good spiderman (above) and bad spiderman (below). Bad spiderman is his favorite.He took pirate treasure cupcakes to school with him. Beneath the X was buried treasure. Party time!Two friends... Adam and Elijah... how photogenic are these two?I'm not sure how poor Jessica survived the year at this table!!Weston digging for treasure. Grant says "treasure be damned, I'm just eating it all."

Night Party!

2009-06-03T22:19:00.008-04:00

One of the fun things about having a daughter (and a willing, easy-going, younger son) is that at moment's notice you can be treated to a night like this one.

Bring on the Night Party...

Olivia decided one evening that we would have a "night party."

First, she selected her outfit b/c as most night partiers know, this is the most important part. She selected an ensemble made by Grandma 2-3 years ago.

She set and decorated our dinner table.She picked the music - Adele, not bad.

She even made a sign.And then they danced. And showed off a few signature moves.Wish you were there? You can be, sort of:

Part I

Part II

Don gets in on the action, and Grant takes it to the next level:

Girl Scallops at the beach

2009-06-02T19:54:00.008-04:00

Olivia and I had our first girl scallop camping trip. To a beach house! Come on, this is Florida after all. None of us really knew what to expect other than the Girl Scallop troops in north Florida have access to a beach house near Jacksonville. Turns out that it is a building in the middle of a city park a couple blocks from the beach. We don't know the history but I'm guessing that someone donated the property to the city with a request that the building be used for Girl Scallops.
Now, we all have an idea of what a beach house is and I'm sure this one doesn't fit the bill for most of those ideas, and while it has cement floors and one sleeping room for all of us to share, it sure was a lot easier than doing the tent thing with 10 or so six yr old girls. And it has a shower. And AC.

Okay, so maybe this really wasn't a camping trip after all.

At the meeting prior, we prepped by making beach buckets. Upon arrival, we ordered out pizza - no "poor boys" for these "campers."We really didn't have any structured activities - just lots of fun at the beach - which really is what this troop (and moms) needed. It was a great bonding, getting-to-know-you type of trip. Especially when we broke out the wine after the girl scallops hit the hay.

Thalia and Olivia...Amanda found a few live LARGE snails, which in all my years at the beach, I've never seen...Yes, that is my girl scallop way out there, giving all the other girl scallop moms heart attacks...A dried up girl scallop...Arts and crafts...At least five stories later, the girls went to bed. And the moms broke out the wine. Wish I had pics of that.The next morning we took one last stroll to the beach before leaving. Sushi for breakfast anyone?
And if you are wondering why "Girl Scallops" - that is Grant's translation for Girl Scouts. And I absolutely adore it.

Along with kajamas instead of pajamas.

Orange and Blue Game

2009-06-01T21:46:00.005-04:00

We learned very quickly that little kids and football games don't always mix. Once you run out of snacks, it's all down hill. However, the Orange and Blue spring training game is perfect for them. First, they get to experience a real game with the band, mascots, cheerleaders and big crowd (64K in attendance - more than some teams get during the regular season) in not so hot weather. The quarters are shorter but at $5/ticket it doesn't matter if you have to bail early.
We went with friends Howard/Lisa and fam and Matt/Deb and fam.
The tail-Gators still come out in style...Everyone loves a little Tebow...But even Tebow fans get restless. Hmmm, maybe I can bug this person next to me.Ha-ha-ha. She is almost as funny as I am.
Whoa, now listen lady... if you don't get up and cheer things are going to get ugly...This is how it's done...
2 bits, 4 bit, 6 bits, a dollar....all for the Gators, stand up and holler!!!

M-i-ss-i-ss-i-pp-i

2009-06-01T20:06:00.008-04:00

Don and I took our first business trip together - to Mississippi of all places. My former employer (FSG) is a member of COSEE (Center for Ocean Science Education Excellence) and they are interested in possibly participting in a program that the California COSEE group out of Berkeley started up several years ago. The name of the project is COSIA (Communication Ocean Sciences to Informal Audiences) and the goal is to, well, communicate ocean sciences to informal audiences.
The idea is to set up a college credit course for undergrad and grad science majors to teach them how to... yes, you got it... communicate ocean science to lay people. More specifically it is to allow them to become better communicators about their research, educate the general public and encourage some of these future scientists to enter the world of education in hopes of generating even more future scientists or science teachers.

Lucky for me my former boss could not attend and thought of me as a replacement to fill the "educator" role. And lucky for Don, he is married to me and was therefore selected to fill the "scientist" role. That, and he is a damn good scientist.

So off we went to Ocean Springs, MS.

While I don't have any pics of the conference to prove we were really in attendance and while I'm sure you are thinking oh darn, no pictures of a conference... really, I could have had some interesting ones to show. It was very interactive and fun.

I do however have some pics of the 6 hours of free time that we did have. And we made the most of it.

A drive up the shore found us in the continuing Hurricane Katrina recovery cities of Gulfport and Biloxi.
Abandoned, right up on the beach...These pictures just do not show the devastation that still exists 4 years post hurricane. Extremely long sections of shoreline, where commercial and residential buildings once stood, remain vacant.
Here is a remaining house pad and some vacant spaces. The blue trailer in the background is one of few quick homes that were built presumably for temporary shelter. But only a very few of the large, brick mansion homes have been rebuilt.

A vacant gas station lot...Some visible damage still remains. This is a building from the William Carey University, only a few hundred yards from the shore in Gulport.This photo speaks volumes. You can see the stripped trees on the barrier island just offshore.
The trees really caught my eye. While they remain standing, their twisted and reconfigured shapes tell the tale of the beatings they endured. As I was standing amidst all the destruction and loss, I noticed this small patch of Indian Blanket Flower (Gaillardia pulchella) - one of my favorite native FL flowers. They made me smile.We managed a quick hike in the Gulf Islands National Seashore.And snacked on honeysuckle.Since honeysuckle isn't terribly filling, we had lots of room for the unbelievable oysters we found at a local restaurant.
They were HUGE! And at $5/dozen, we ate A LOT!Gimme oysters and beer for dinner every day of the year...As for COSIA, and most everything else in life, timing is everything. We both learned a lot and it is a fab program but with UF slicing and dicing its budget each year, it may not happen just yet. But not all is lost, I am certainly going to implement some of the ideas and techniques we learned to current programs at the FLMNH.

Look Ma! No training wheels!

2009-05-16T23:08:00.009-04:00

I'm not sure how I let this one slip past, but Olivia is riding a bike! Without training wheels! It happened the same w'end as her first swim meet (See here) and with that huge victory under our belts I guess was in success overload.
Apparently she was still flying high from Saturday's swimming success when on Sunday she requested to go bike riding... and when Don took the training wheels off, she just did it. Just like that. Like she'd been doing it forever. For a kid who has never had a fear of deep water, or the high dive, or swimming waaaaay out in the ocean ever since she was one year old... riding a bike paralyzed her. So this was a big deal.
That was one full weekend and I do recall sleeping very well Sunday night.We also went to an art festival that morning hence the lovely face painting. Go La-La Go...

Grant on his way...

Happy Easter 2009

2009-05-14T22:06:00.008-04:00

Happy Easter a month late! Not bad considering I was 4 months late to wish Happy New Year...

The McMullens and Mimi and Popka visited us for Easter again this year. It was a short visit, but jam packed. We visited St Augustine to sightsee and beach it. We got to Fort Matanzas just in time for the canon demonstration...Grant is still not a fan of loud noises...Hanging out... Sadly, this is the best shot I could get of kids who just finished a long drive and were antsy to explore and get to the beach.Egg Coloring and HuntingScore! another one...
Thanks to Popka and his 120 candy filled eggs - we are still eating chocolates and finding shiny, colorful foiled wrappers around the house!Kinda blurry but I couldn't resist posting a pic of the pretty dress Mimi gave Olivia...The McMullens had yet to explore Paynes Prairie with us, so that was a must. The Gators made a grand appearance for them that day.We even had a big guy swim right by for a nice closeup view.

And we saw Bison for the first time ever - not the best zoomed in shot but they are there, trust me. Those McMullens are good luck.Nature Boy Nathan found a skink for everyone to molest before letting him go again...We also saw an armadillo rooting around in the woods and he might have been the favorite sighting... which is completely understandable if you've never seen an armadillo (See: Armadillo Attack)

Give Blood, Play Rugby

2009-04-28T12:59:00.010-04:00

We had the Lewis' and Don's college friend, Howard, here for the annual UF Rugby alumni spring weekend event. The boyz went out Friday night for the opening social and played a match against the current UF team on Saturday.

For all you rugby newbies, this is called a scrum. I call it a place I do not want my face to be on a hot Florida day...And, he's off...Yes, that is Don (and his bad back) at the bottom of the pile.Rugby alumni are called Old Boys for a reason...
Is this the rugby field or the catwalk...Thank goodness for a playground...Even Alex got in on the action...The real fun began (for Jen and I anyway) when we got a babysitter for all of our punks and went out for the night.

It began at Mother's (college bar) and digressed to a toga party (college house). We were smart enough to know our age limits before attending a toga party with undergrads.

This expression never left Howard's face all night...Whatchu talkin' 'bout...Hard to believe this sweet face could cause such violence on the field...
A whole lotta man love...They may be older but they can still out-drink 'em. Don, Howard and Matt were recruited to enter a beer drinking race of sorts - Old Boys vs. Current Team. And they won - by quite a substantial margin too. I videotaped it and I can assure you, it is not for the faint of heart. Here's to the beer race champs...

Organized Chaos

2009-04-27T10:25:00.015-04:00

If you know anything about three year old's playing soccer (and even if you don't but take just one second to think about it) you will know that there is no soccer involved. It is all about running around, eating snacks, laughing, crying, picking flowers, falling down, kicking the ball (yes it does happen) and getting trophies at the end of the season. And it is all so worth it... even if it is partly from a selfish standpoint (who do you think is doing all the laughing?).

However, no matter the age, there is no denying that soccer players do in fact have the best legs...

A favorite distraction, flower picking...

Game plan...Drills...More flower picking...Soccer star...He shoots! He falls!Look alive! This is not baseball...Charging the field...Coach and Assistant Coach...Wait?! Is that ANOTHER kid picking flowers?Unfortunately Grant's plan to distract the other player by flashing his belly was attempted on a member of his own team...Grant even had his own die-hard fan base...Ben teaching Grant all about putting on the game face...Time to regroup... again...Go Blue Gators!Yay team!

The trophy makes it all worth it...And while no true soccer is played in a game amongst three yr olds, many other skills are developed along the way, such as sharing, teamwork, and yes... flower picking...

Success at the swim meet in more ways than four

2009-04-27T10:14:00.023-04:00

Olivia has been swimming in a swim club since last October. She is in the "development group" for High Tide Aquatics. Basically that means she is learning the four main strokes, improving her dive, and building endurance, all with the goal of swimming on the swim team. That day arrived in March. A small swim meet was scheduled at the end of the month and the coach felt she was ready to put her acquired and practiced skills to test.

Don is a former swimmer and has been to MANY swim meets in his life but a soccer game prevented him and Grant from attending so Olivia and I were to tackle this next milestone ourselves. During the weeks leading up to it and even the drive there, I didn't realize it was actually going to be a milestone. We both thought we would just drive down, she'd swim a race and we'd go home.

That is not how swim meets work.

You sit and wait and wait and sit all day until your race comes up and then wait and sit and sit and wait until the next race and continue this until all your races are done. It is a lesson in patience, stamina and self-confidence. But let me back up.

We had friends in town for the annual UF Rugby alumni weekend so Olivia really wanted to stay and play with these friends that she doesn't see very often. Not having a clue what to expect at meets, I convinced her that we would be back in plenty of time to do that... I mean, really, how long does it take to swim across the pool a couple times?

On the way down (an hour drive EARLY in the morning) we were discussing what to expect. The coaches never told me the details and I hadn't thought to ask so we both decided (or I convinced her) that it would likely just be one freestyle race - it's her first meet, she is only 6 and new to this, so certainly they wouldn't expect her to do butterfly, right? Will I have to dive off the blocks?? No, not in your first meet. All my answers seemed quite logical to me anyway. So, she was happy and we sang songs and read books the rest of the way.

Upon arrival at 8:00am we noticed lots of people buzzing around and tents (those tailgating kind), coolers, and chairs set up all over - we brought none of those things and why would we? We were only going to be there for an hour or two max. Our water bottles would be enough. I found a mom I knew and we started chatting. The coaches were already busy running around with clipboards and stopwatches. She showed us the "race sheet" and I asked her to find what time Olivia was racing. She scanned and found Olivia's race at 9:37am - the butterfly. Olivia paused and asked her to repeat it... after hearing it the second time she started tearing up... no, not the butterfly, I can't do the butterfly, you said I wouldn't have to do the butterfly...

Uh-oh.

My friend continues to tell us that she then had the backstroke at 10:37am, breastroke at 11:37am and finish off with freestyle at 12:37pm! I'm slowly starting to check into reality at this point - she is doing all the Individual Medley strokes that she has learned and practiced (makes sense) and we aren't going to be here for just an hour or two and we need a tent, chairs and cooler (makes sense). Reality is also setting in for Olivia - she has to swim all four strokes with people watching her and we are going to be here a long time - the tears start to trickle from the well and the self-doubt continues to grow.

Priority one: become cheerleader for Olivia. I did that for awhile and then let her seasoned swim mates take over while I ran to Publix for drinks and food. Upon my return the coaches whisked her off for warmups. I watched her debating them on the reasons she should not get in the pool. (She is good at debating and I constantly tell her that if she doesn't grow up and become a lawyer, her talents will be wasted). I crossed my fingers and just hoped she would do warmups. I was having flashbacks of her first experience on stage (she wouldn't go) and my first experience going off the high dive (see Just Keep Swimming). At this point if she just got in and did warmups, I'd be happy and consider the day a success.

Success! She got in and started doing warmups! Later one of the coaches told me that Olivia saw another little girl (who is a great swimmer but never performs at the meets) crying and refusing to get in, so Olivia started up. She turned to Olivia and said "I do not expect that from you and will not accept it, now get in." And she did. Huh?... why doesn't that sharp attitude work for me??

After warmups, I gave her big hugs and praise and she was happy. Then the waiting began. And so did the self doubt. And so did the cheerleading. The time neared and I asked the coach to take over while I disappeared into the crowd. Watching her approach and wait her turn at the edge of the pool, I could feel every single butterfly fluttering around in her stomach knowing that there was no way I would have ever done this at this age. Now, certainly. Then, no way.

She walked with her competitors to the edge, bent down in dive position (no blocks. i was right about one thing!) and beep! the buzzer sounded and she dove in!! Her friends were cheering and I was filming. It was not the prettiest butterfly I have seen and maybe on most levels wouldn't even be considered the butterfly but she was doing it. And her fly was flying!! Those little arms were moving. My heart was racing about as fast as hers in that moment. And at the end when she looked up and waved to me, it was my turn to well up with tears.

I went to meet her and as I gave her a big hug, she just burst into tears. I could feel all the anxiety release with each sob. She dried up pretty quickly and I was just beaming. WOW!! You did it!!! Don't you feel great!! I am SOOOO proud of you!! She looks up at me and says "Okay, can we go home now?" Oh boy. Cheerleading, round 3.

This emotional and psychological roller coaster went on for the next two rounds. But each time, she got up to the line and did it. And in fact, she won all of her heats except one. By the last race, no cheerleading was needed and she casually walked right up and was completely relaxed. And when it was all over she was glowing and grinning ear to ear.

The next week she received ribbons for placing in all four strokes. Fifth for three of them and third for the breaststroke!! She was so happy and I was so proud - but mostly because she overcame so much fear, self-doubt, and just plain ol' shaky nerves. It was a great parenting moment for me too. I take pride in my ability to cheerlead and support her through that crazy up and down ride because she can be a tough one to crack - especially by mom. But at the end of the day, it was all her. It was her feet, head and heart that got her to dive into that pool each time. I just got to reap the benefits on the sideline.

I wish I had a video to post but none of them are small enough. Instead, a slide show...

The grand grandparent visit

2009-04-26T21:43:00.011-04:00

As we were snowboarding and snowshoeing our way around Tahoe, Grandma and Grandpa were shuttling and spoiling grand kids. Thanks to Grandpa's shutter bug nature, I have some pics to post. The azaleas were full on and Grandpa is a sucker for a flower shot...Grandma even got saddled with selling Girl Scout cookies. But I am most greatful for her sewing skills. Not only did she sew on all of Olivia's patches (they claim to be "iron on"....yeah, right...) but she corrected my troop number screw up (see Half Baked Brownie). Not only can I not sew, apparently I can't iron on either.)They ventured out to Dudley Farm one afternoon for some Florida history and exploration. That really is a vine they are climbing on...It's not work when you only have to do it once for 5 minutes...I recognize the expression on this man's face. I've seen it many times before. It's the look that says "that is a 3 yr old boy that needs to be watched."Grandma is a sucker for a quilt show... and pretty flower hair clips.Grant is either trying to figure out if she is real or about to validate the man's expression in the photo above. Thanks for a week of fun!! Hopefully you have caught up on your rest since. We miss you Grandma and Grandpa! Love, Olivia and Grant

Note to mom/dad: I wouldn't love it either if someone posted early morning pics of me. But I think these are great!

A snowshoeing we will go

2009-04-24T09:59:00.012-04:00

One of our fave things to do in the mountain snow is to shoe through it. There is no better way to commune with nature in the cold then to escape on paths less traveled.But don't get me wrong, it isn't a nice leisurely stroll and at times it is heart-pounding work. Luckily the picturesque views are numerous, allowing for multiple rest stops.Now THOSE are trees...And you must take time to stop and hug the cedars...Wow, look at the lake!McGruber! Don became McGruber (if you haven't seen that SNL skit, you are missing out) as he tried and tried again to fix Dave's busted up snowshoe.Poor Dave...Should we really hike up this former avalanche area? Sure, why not?Because it isn't much fun. But it is fun to slide back down.Life is Good!

Looking past the present

2009-04-19T15:58:00.014-04:00

During our Tahoe trip, we spent part of a day visiting Virginia City, Nevada - an old mining town outside of Carson City. The discovery of the first major deposit of silver ore, known as the Comstock Lode, was made here in 1859. It is one of the most famous boomtowns in the Old West as it virutally appeared overnight. It was founded by some folks on their way to the gold rush in California and soon prospectors rushed to the area, scrambling to stake their claims. Mining camps soon thrived in the vicinity and became bustling centers of fabulous wealth turning Virginia City into the most important settlement between Denver and San Francisco; and grubby prospectors into instant millionaires. They built mansions, imported furniture and fashions from around the world, and helped finance the Civil War.

The mountains were all mined out by 1898 and the population quickly declined. Today there are approximately 1,000 people living there. Interesting side note: the Virginia City High School basketball team has won more state championships than any other school in the state.

So... we were excited to see this quaint, historic boomtown of the wild, wild west complete with abandoned mines and swing door saloons. Driving up through Silver City and Gold Hill we saw plenty of abandoned mines...But as we approached Virginia City, things quickly changed to flashing lights and store shop signs. The main drag is still there complete with wooden boardwalks and saloons but they are filled with trinket shops and casinos. Our hopes of a Williamsburg-type of experience were quickly dashed. We were selective in our photos so you don't really get the touristy feel here, but it is there and a bit disappointing.
Cool saloon on the outide...But filled with slot machines on the inside. They really distracted from the old vibe of the place. The hanging glass lamps were nice though...Samuel Clemens began his writing career as Mark Twain in Virginia City, while working as a reporter for the Territorial Enterprise. We toured his "office" that is set in the basement of one of the shops.
His desk...His printing press (powered by water)...His toilet...We had a pint at the Union Brewery - the oldest saloon in Virginia City. But again, on the inside it was just a regular bar.Except for this great old flag with just 48 stars. Unfortunately someone decided to "wallpaper" it to the ceiling.The bartender did share an interesting (and sad) story with us about the bar. The bar brewed its own beer up until 15 years ago when the Hell's Angels took the equipment (new and historic) on a midnight-justice raid on account that the owner owed them LOTS of money... for things unseemly.

Virginia City is a National Historic Landmark but it's too bad they put more emphasis on tourism than they do history. We had more fun exploring on the drive up - inspecting old mines and bygone equipment and imagining what the area was like in the middle of its hey-day - than we did trying to look past the present in town.

Live to Ride, Ride to Live

2009-04-18T22:29:00.007-04:00

Wow... this is what it's all about...Don and I enjoying the view at one of my fave resorts, Alpine Meadows (a slightly cheaper version of Squaw Valley). Nice big bowl areas. The beauty of Tahoe is that not only do you get mountain views, but you also have the lake...The gang, part 1. Me, Don, Mark and his son Quint. Mark's nephew and friend joined us later in the week...Why is he laughing? All I can say is... P.U.!!! Ugh, not one of Don's best weeks for intestinal happiness...New rides! We decided to stimulate the economy while we were there and buy new gear. It all started when we were in the rental shop and the rad punk (with a majorly broken arm) working the counter told me he had a perfect board for me. It was brand new that season and since he was obviously out for the rest of it, he would sell it to me for a steal. We stewed on it that day and decided to go for it. Despite it being a guy's board and a little faster than the crappy rental gear I was used to, I fell in love. However, I did not love his boots that he gave me. What was I thinking wearing his too-big-for-me boots that first day?!?! My shins weren't the same for the rest of the week. So as the week wore on, I couldn't stand those boots any longer and Don couldn't stand that I had a new board and he didn't. So we spent nearly a FULL day shopping around and Don came away with quite a killer board and I got boots that fit.

Lake Tahoe

2009-04-17T15:46:00.006-04:00

We have done something right in our lives to have completely generous friends and family that hook us up with opportunities to do some of our fave things: snowboard, snowshoe, and play in the snow. Don's colleague (and our former major adviser in grad school), Mark Butler, invited us for a week in his condo in Tahoe. We also did something right to have awesome parents who come and babysit. We had a FAB time as always.

The first day was spent getting things in order: groceries and gear. We took some time toward the end of the day to explore:Is this the Caribbean or the mountains? There is a good reason their local conservation motto is: Keep Lake Tahoe Blue.Love the clouds...This is a pass through on the road around the lake. Years ago during the major logging days, they would simply drive around it on the left.Can you find Don?

Half Baked Brownies

2009-04-16T22:44:00.009-04:00

Olivia's mid year ceremony for Brownies involved sharing projects, collecting badges they earned, and feasting. Oh, and parents were given cookie sales info...
Scott and Dara were in town and the hostess told me that Olivia approached her and said "My aunt and uncle came with me today." Awwwwwww.

Making the punch..."On my honor, I will try..."Passing the light...Checking out her hard earned goods...End of meeting tradition. I think it's their favorite part... not the ending, the tradition.The gang, er, troop! And I bet no one noticed that I mixed up Olivia's troop numbers... oops...

Sand Hill Surplus

2009-04-15T22:46:00.008-04:00

One Sunday in January we headed to Paynes Prairie for a hike. There were a ton of cars there and while the weather was perfect, we have never seen this many people in PP before. We didn't have an answer until partly down La Chua Trail we heard them...

Sand Hill Cranes - thousands of them!Upclose (borrowed from the internet)... In the winter, sandhills migrate from Michigan and Wisconsin to south Georgia and Florida. This is a banner year for sandhills at PP (they estimate 5,000 this year). Why so many? No one has THE answer but lots of speculation including recent drought conditions and unseasonably warm weather.

One of their fave eats is amaranth seeds. Amaranth is an ancient grain, the first to be cultivated as a crop in the New World. Aztecs used amaranth extensively, even in their sacrifice ceremonies.

When the Spanish came along, all things Aztec were forbidden, including growing amaranth. It is making a comeback these days. The grain grows wild on the prairie. This has been a very good year for amaranth; perhaps the sandhill cranes know that and have come to harvest the good stuff. Some sandhills like Paynes Prairie so much they will stay year round but most go back up North.

Perfect place to escape the snow...But be careful of the gators...

Winter Hiking

2009-04-15T09:54:00.014-04:00

We spent a fair amount of time this winter hiking in Paynes Prairie and San Felasco. Every time we go we see something new... every time!
This was a particularly relaxing day. The weather was perfect and we were tired so we sat (and snoozed) for awhile under a stand of pine trees.The kids played with sticks and dirt for a long while...These photos are blurry b/c Grant was bent on charging me each time I tried to take a picture. Still, they turned out to be some of my favorite pics of him...Blowing in the wind...On the walk home we tried out our gymnastics skills.

Balance Beam...Somersaults...Cartwheels...For my 40th birthday, Scott and Dara completely surprised me by driving down from Florence, SC and knocking on our door 11:30pm on Friday night. Don and our friend Veronica planned a surprise party for me on Saturday night - complete with friends I hadn't seen in awhile. It was a total surprise and a lot of fun. Too bad I don't have any photos from it!! Guess I was too busy being surprised to think of taking pics.
The next day we went for a quick hike before they headed back north...

Georgia on my mind

2009-04-14T10:54:00.008-04:00

We spent the first days of the new year (I know I've become a bit of a pathetic blogger. I moved it down the priority ladder... but I will try harder!) with our most excellent friends Scott and Dara (or Scotty and Dary according to Olivia). They have a beautiful cabin in north Georgia surrounded by even more beautiful scenery. While we only had a short stay, we made the most of it by hiking, even in the rain.Precarious crossing...Pulling up the rear...

Happy New Year 2009

2009-04-13T20:58:00.003-04:00

It's not April, really, it's not. You all are crazy.

Happy New Year!!!Everyone rocked out the New Year celebration at the Knights of Columbus, except me. Due to babysitter cancellation, someone had to volunteer to stay behind... so I fell on that sword. Actually, the funny thing was that everyone volunteered to stay behind - and adamantly so!! Well, hmmm, now that I think about it, I actually don't recall Don throwing his name in the hat too much. For the rest of us, I think we were all comfy in our jeans and no one wanted to get gussied up. Anyway, they all had a good time at the K of C and then surprised me by coming home just before the ball dropped.Showing us how it's done...Ah, Jim, is that an alien you are dancing with?Too many rounds of Pit (and drinks)...

Until next December! (or April...)

Wine Tasting

2009-02-16T14:06:00.012-05:00

Wine Tasting - one of my favorite pleasures in life

One of my most favorite events over the holidays is our annual trip to taste wine. It's the right combination of everything good in life: good company, beautiful scenery, delish wine and lots of laughs. The Prince William County wine scene has really only come about in the last 10ish (?) years and there are some pretty good wineries out there. This year we hit Pearmund (our regular) and Chateau O'Brien (quite new). These wineries are located in beautiful countryside. You can see a touch of it in the backgound of some of these pics but next year I will have to make a point of taking pictures of the facilities and grounds. They are gorgeous.

Looking tired. You think we could have dressed more for the occasion but I was so tired (aka hungover - see previous post) I really didn't care.The California experts try the Virginia wines...Typical Dad. Not sure what he is doing but I have seen this move (and countless others like it) many times in my life.Then, he got serious (for mom's sake)Mom/Kev in the Pearmund Cellar...Not too often that really, really good wine serves as the hair of the dog but it worked. Smelling the bung...Nice rack!!Mom and her wine. Life is Good.Even the experts learn a thing or two from the Chateau O'Brien winemaker... or else, they are just smiling politely.Wine snob...Oh, the wine was flowing...THE bottle... let's just say, Terri and Jim made the winemaker (and owner) VERY happy about this purchase.Bunch of Winos... Til next time... Cheers!

A Night Out

2009-02-16T12:21:00.009-05:00

Some friends of mine from high school got together over the holidays. It was like a mini-reunion and lots of fun. At one point in the evening, Christi broke out the camera and relentlessly took picture after picture. The joy of a digital camera.

For some of you this might be one of those "had to have been there" scenarios, but for those of us involved, it was a lot of fun.

I've entitled the slideshow: Fun with cameras... and beer

Old Towns

2009-02-15T21:55:00.008-05:00

Other annual holiday events include trips to Occoquan and Alexandria. We don't really do much more than window shop (oh, okay, an occasional after-Christmas sale item is purchased) and have a bite to eat but it has become a bit of a tradition.

The annual Occoquan kid photo. We haven't had a great one yet...another tradition I guess.The kids don't get a whole lot out of the trip except a basket of chicken tenders but they manage to make their own fun. This year Terri, Mom and Don added to the excitement when the got locked in a store. Yes, locked in. It was quite comical and I got it all on video - unfortunately too big to post here.
Working the lock, after the handle fell off...Kids calmly entertained themselves...And not so calmly...Success!Old Town Alexandria
In Occoquan our meal of choice is either clam chowder or crab soup. In Alexandria it is gumbo. Unfortunately our hole in the wall fave restaurant was closed to prep for New Year's so we ate clam chowder at another joint. Wasn't the same. But we were sure to hit Union Street Public House for a pint, a dozen (oysters) and great atmosphere.

Air and Space Museum

2009-02-15T21:33:00.004-05:00

We visited the Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center - the companion facility to the Smithsonian Air/Space museum. This one is located near Dulles Airport.Two peas in a pod...THAT is a big plane...Space Shuttle Enterprise...Learning from Jung Kebin...LOVE this pic - just wish it was a bit more in focus and D'elle was in it.

It's Snowing!!!!

2009-02-15T15:00:00.012-05:00

A single snow cloud blew by and we took full advantage but by the time Grant bundled up, it was over. At least they got to catch some on their tongues. Olivia doesn't need bundling up - she inherited those Wisconsin genes. It didn't even phase her that she was bare foot.

More Holiday Fun

2009-02-15T14:37:00.010-05:00

When you are from Florida, you really don't have much for cold weather gear. So one has to use whatever can be pieced together.Annual visit to see Gigantor (in the background)... and the other horsesFour Wheelin' FunGrant and I jumping (and ruining) Grandpa's garden

Christmas, part 2

2009-02-14T21:11:00.008-05:00

Christmas with the Bergers

This is my other fave picture of the holiday season (see Christmas, part 1 for the other). I sat in waiting for Santa to knock on the door so I could get a picture of their faces. As soon as the first knock could be heard, the kids instantaneously went into frenzy mode. I snapped a bunch but this is the only one that had all of them in the same shot. I think this photo does a good job of capturing that moment... including Grant running in the complete opposite direction of Santa.

Here's another. Grant still trying desperately to escape; hide behind the Christmas tree perhaps.Adults have fun watching too.Giving Santa love.Grant braved it up this year and sat on Santa's lap. I believe he still prefers not to but has grown up enough to know that if a gift is involved he'll do most anything.Grant and his pan flute - inside family joke. Ask Don if you are dying to know.Love the jammies, G'ma.I was missing Harley.Everyone loves a Gator.Bailey has taken over Dune's job of being in the center of wrapping paper mayhem.

Carolina Raptor Center

2009-02-14T14:08:00.005-05:00

We visited the Carolina Raptor Center - an environmental conservation organization that treats injured and orphaned raptors.

My favorite, The Great Horned Owl Note his talons. They are perch and pounce hunters - they dive down with wings folded and snatch prey. Along with eagles, they have the strongest grip strength, rivaling that of four adult men. They mostly eat mammals and other owls including the...

Barn Owl
They typically live only 2-4 years in the wild. This one here is 12 years old.
Learning about wing design and the fringed feathers that allow them to fly silently.Feeding time.What's Up?

Christmas, part I

2009-02-14T13:42:00.011-05:00

Christmas with the McMullens and Behringers

One of my favorite pictures of the holiday season (see Christmas, part 2 for the other). This photo sums up what happens to kids when they have too little sleep and too much sugar. We lost all control of them on Christmas Eve.
It began with Uncle Matt covering Grant in tattoos which lasted the entire holiday season. My personal fave was the big one on the back of the neck. He looked gangsta... and I found myself slightly embarrassed and frantically trying to keep it covered while in church.
We visited a really cool train display, located on top of a music store.
Japanese Steak house
Quite a first time experience for Grant. As soon as the chef began (literally, as soon as he made his first move) Grant flew out of his seat and hid under the table! The flames and banging knives were too much for him and he wouldn't come out for awhile. Once we were able to convince him that it was okay and actually a lot of fun, he slinked out and watched some of the show at the end. And then proceeded to eat his entire meal with chopsticks. We decided we either need to serve every meal at home with chopsticks... or with that secret sweet shrimp sauce.Remote Controlled Truck - was this gift for Grant or Don?Barbie House!Santa is alright!We managed to burn off some of Aunt Donna's cookies by hiking.Some vine climbing. And we thought we had thick vines in Florida. Note the twisted center. These vines were thick!

Holiday Hangover

2009-01-24T17:00:00.005-05:00

My holiday entries have been hanging over my head much like Snoopy does to Lucy in the Peanuts Christmas special.

We love taking time to travel and see everyone but the return puts us in a holidaze that seems to last, well, nearly 3 weeks. I think I'm starting to get back into our normally schedule now.

School Parties

Grant was Santa in his school production... His class "sang" Jingle Bells. He is so shy but I give him credit for just getting up there. When Olivia was 3, she wouldn't even go on the stage. I recall being shy to perform in front of a crowd so I can relate.The best part for me is that he jingled his hat rather than the bells...

video upload

The best for part for Grant was meeting Santa and receiving a homemade stuffed dog.Olivia had a book exchange party...Ah! Tinkerbell!Apparently if given the choice between donut holes or reading, Olivia chooses reading.Decorating cookies with Phoebe (friend from Guatemala, has since returned. She was here during her summer break)

Harley

2009-01-24T15:17:00.012-05:00

Harley * Charley * Chuck * Chuck-a-luck * Harlo * Arlo * Arlo Catty * Catty faces

Harley passed away rather suddenly in December, just before we left for the holidays. I knew him longer than anyone else in my immediate family and I miss him terribly. I still catch myself looking for him around the house. Hard not to after 16 years.

Hairy Himalayan with beautiful blue eyes
Aged well, he lost his mean streak over the years
Really fluffy
Loyal, yes for a cat he totally was to me
Evil, during his younger years, to others
Y -Why? he was a great catty, he loved me and I him

Olivia loved her some Harley... not sure if the love was ever returned but he sure was tolerant.Maybe she doesn't see me...Not loving this...There is a theme here...Oh, please not again...Many faceoffs between these two...Stuck tongue. This happened to him a lot. Yours would too if you had to lick that much hair.Olivia had to find her own room on my lap...

Go Gators!

2009-01-12T12:18:00.003-05:00

National Champs, Again!!

Another fun ride for us! Four national championships in 33 months - 2 basketball, 2 football! I'm beginning to think we are good luck since we moved here the year of the first one. We also moved here just before the housing market in south Florida tanked so maybe our luck is misplaced. Anyway, another fun football season for us - VT won the ACC championship too. And it should only get better as most of both teams are returning next year! :)

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-20T09:03:00.001-05:00

It's the Holiday Season...

2008-12-18T12:11:00.010-05:00

and a whoop-dee-do, a dickory dock, don't forget to hang up your sock... (inside joke with my sister Karen).

We are in full swing and a bit sad that Thanksgiving fell later this year. Since we travel for the holidays (and therefore must have our act together even earlier) we really don't get much time to enjoy our decorations and quiet family Christmas time. Both Don and I (and subsequently our kids) love to get festive (as Don says) so we cram a lot in without trying to make it feel pressured or rushed (multi-tasking skills go into overdrive)... but it always kinda does (at least to me).

However, we LOVE to see our family and friends (and get gifts ;) and Don would NEVER stay in warm weather for the holidays (and snow is preferred - can you all make that happen this year - PLEASE?!). I however think it might be fun to escape, just once. Christmas in the islands perhaps? Maybe even Christmas Island. Or even Iceland for Don. Just kidding everyone (except for maybe just a teeny tiny bit), and I'm sure I would regret it if I did.

So, I'm squeezing in ONE MORE thing (this posting) before we head out on Saturday. I just ran out of time to get other Christmas posts up and many of our busy events weren't even photo-documented since I forgot the camera most of the time (my multi-tasker broke down).

And one of my goals of this post (decided midway second paragraph) is to see how many parentheses I can use (even if it is annoying). I think I'm losing it a bit.

Cutting the Tree

We started a new ritual last year when we found a quaint Christmas tree farm - cutting our own tree. These trees are Sand Pines (or Scrub Pines) and they are native to Florida. Their needles are similar to a white pine. They aren't a deep, dark green - more of a "Florida" green as I call it - lots of sunshine mixed in.Grants favorite part was pulling the cart...Chosen, cut and conquered... Grant inhaling some fresh pine...
They have a nice scent - at first - but unfortunately it doesn't last like I remember my trees of youth. But we like having a native tree.Heading out...We even got a bit of education. The owners have bluebird houses and martin houses around the property to control insect damage without using pesticides. These are some of the nests and eggs found in the houses.Heading home...

Family Nature Time

2008-12-15T20:44:00.008-05:00

During the Thanksgiving holiday, we managed to keep our caloric count in check by getting outside a bit. We hiked one of the many San Felasco trails...and found some insects also burning a few calories...Nate, future scientist, identifying this HUGE orb weaver for us...The allure of finding fossils was still high so we took everyone to our secret spot.Grant gettin' in on the action. And never complaining that these boots are actually two sizes too small...Like mother, like son...We were SO happy that Scotty and Dary could join us for the day as they passed through Gainesville on holiday travel. Scott and I were the last two to be pulled from the stream...The gang, post fossilizin'....Awww, we MISS you guys!!!

Happy Belated Thanksgiving

2008-12-10T20:28:00.005-05:00

Sure they say that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line but I think the shortest distance between anything at all is the number of days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is nearly equidistant time between the two right now and I am already soooo far behind. Sometimes I think I should quit while I'm behind, call it good and just chill for the rest of the year... but I carry on like the rest of us and know that it is all worth it in the end and miss every second when its over. So, on that note I will FINALLY get these Thanksgiving posts up so that I can then begin to write Christmas letters, bake cookies, go to parties, finish shopping, wrap gifts, pack suitcases...

We had Don's family here for Thanksgiving and got to use our dining room for the very first time!!! Thanks to the handed down table from Don's parents and conference room chairs from Don's office, we had the whole crew at the table. It was pretty cool. We also got to use our full china set for the first time, allowing us to discover we are sorely lacking some key pieces. Everyone had a hand or two in preparing dishes and we had way too much food, especially since the kids eat like mice. Some other scenes from Thanksgiving day:

Most unusal: Ben (aka Percy Harvin) and Olivia playing together!! For a long time. And they were having lots of fun...Most usual: Prone Popka (affectionately pronounced "pah-ka")...Uncle Matt being bugged by the kids for one more spinning twirl while singing "I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy"...Who Luvs Ya Uncle Matt? WE DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How did Tarzan do it?!?!

2008-12-09T20:53:00.009-05:00

BeforeAfter

We ventured back to Bolen's Bluff recently. Sadly, this time without Flat Stanley. We again saw the horses...so note: if you want to see the wild horses at Paynes Prairie, go to Bolen's Bluff - we are two for two there.What's more rare than seeing wild horses in Paynes Prairie? Seeing Olivia and Grant voluntarily holding hands...

Fossilizing

2008-12-08T20:45:00.008-05:00

Olivia and I had so much fun fossil hunting with her Brownie troop that we brought Grant and Don back with us the very next day. The kids were into it for about 20 minutes and then spent the rest of the time playing in the water and woods. Grant in Don's cub scout scarf that he was obsessed with for a few days...Don and I couldn't get enough. It is quite addicting, especially when you have successful finds. We found lots of shark teeth and ray mouth plates. Then I found a real treasure... a dolphin tooth - intact!Of course, we didn't know what most of these things were until I took them into work and had a fossil expert i.d. them for us. The dolphin tooth is estimated to be 1.8 - 5 million years old. And as it turns out, the horse tooth that Don found (and was bummed b/c it was "just a horse tooth") may be the find of the day. My colleague believes it came from a rare 3 -toed horse (precursors to the 2-toed). They were much smaller as this tooth is compared to the more common Equus tooth found in Florida. If he is correct, it is approx. 24 million years old! I need to confirm it with the head-honcho vertebrate fossil scientist so we know for sure. I need to get a good picture of the tooth on here...

Shark's Teeth in the Woods?

2008-12-07T14:35:00.005-05:00

Olivia's Brownie troop met for a day of hiking and sharks teeth hunting at a nature park. Ms. Angela (troop leader) is giving instructions...First we went on a bubble gum hike - the girls had to find as many colors as they could using natural items. Whenever an item was found that she wanted to use, she would pull a small piece of bubble gum from the wad in her mouth and use it as glue to hold the item on her card. Fun idea even if it was a bit slimy. This really isn't a difficult task unless your child is missing three teeth in the most inappropriate places.Searching the creek...Surprisingly we found many teeth just lying right on top of the sand at the bottom of the stream bed. But these sieves were most useful when we wanted to scoop deeper.Shark's teeth. Score!Olivia and Thalia... not shy about jumping right in, socks/shoes and all...

My little homey

2008-11-25T08:52:00.007-05:00

Moldy driveways. Is this something only Floridians get to experience? Although it looks much darker when wet, you can clearly see the before and after of Don's power washing. Four hours of his life was well spent.Four hours is a long time to wait for a driveway to be cleaned so that we can do something fun, but the weather was beautiful and the kids played outside.
My favorite grass is the muhly grass, which I didn't do such a good job of photographing below. I need to get 3 or 4 more of these plants - they are beautiful.And apparently somewhere along the way, Grant learned some interesting poses?!!? When I asked him to smile, he crouched to the ground, put his fingers up and gave a sly grin! What in the world?! I was both surprised and amused. Too funny. He has either inherited some of cousin Ben's charming humor or "Dance and Sing" day at school is putting a strong emphasis on hip, hop. My little homey...

Cranberry Thanksgiving Bread

2008-11-23T10:46:00.004-05:00

In anticipation of Thanksgiving, we decided to make some cranberry bread. But this isn't just any cranberry bread. It is a secret recipe hidden behind a loose brick in the fireplace in Grandma's kitchen. And it is delish! This recipe is so famous and sought after, that a bakery owner actually tried to steal it from Grandma! But thanks to a smart granddaughter and a wary clam fisherman, the bakery owner was caught and the recipe was saved from exploitation.

Since those days of recipe secrecy, it appears Grandma (or her greedy ancestors) sold out and made the recipe public. So, if you would like to try this famous cranberry bread than you must read Cranberry Thanksgiving by Wendy and Harry Devlin. It's a good read and a good recipe.

A Day with Dad (Papa, actually)

2008-11-22T08:06:00.005-05:00

The kids have created a play area in the woods behind their fort that reminds me of when I was growing up and my friends and I or Kevin and I would play "in the trees" in our yard all day long. For the most part, they just like to decorate it. And other than the logs they are using for chairs and tables, most of it is toys just scattered about. To me it looks like junk in the woods but to them each place has it's own place and use. Even the umbrella hanging in the tree... I guess.

There is a small pine tree there that they decided looks like the Charlie Brown Christmas tree so on a day off of school with Don, they chose to decorate it.

First, they took a hike to collect the decorations...Next came the decorating - mostly leaves and pine cones that Don hole punched and threaded.The end result. Hard to notice in these photos but they adorned it with fall leaves and pine cones. They are holding Snoopy and Spike (one of Snoopy's brothers) - my old stuffed animals - to represent the Peanuts gang.

Missing an old friend

2008-11-20T06:17:00.009-05:00

It's just over a year since Dune passed away and we all still greatly miss him... even Harley.Dune loved the water but was soooo chicken to jump off a boat. That fear made it easy to take him on boat rides - he wouldn't escape for a free swim like other labs I know.He loved my parents house because we could just let him run and run and sniff and run...A true Florida dog...Who's who? Any true Dune friend would know that it is Dune on left - he licked anyone and anything ALL the time. (Brooks on right). 2006.Christmas was always a fave of Dune's...except for Santa. He had a complete dislike for the man, no matter who he was each year. I wish I had pics of him in full Santa attack but along with our puppy pics, they were taken pre-digital cameras. Dune was such a mellow dog that it made watching him go bezerk over Santa even more funny. He wouldn't stop barking until Mr. C left the house. Here you can still see the "I-haven't-take-my-eyes-off-you-yet-Mister!" look (as well as the look of distress on Robert's and Braden's faces... poor Santa never really got much love until the kids passed the age of 3).Can you find him?Playing football in the snow...I'm sure Dune and Ashe are having more than their share of fun in doggie heaven.We miss you!

My Family by Grant

2008-11-07T13:14:00.011-05:00

"My Family"
by Grant Behringer

Our kids seem to come home with endless amounts of artwork projects. Some good, some great and some go straight from back pack to the recycle bin. But every so often we come across one that is just priceless. This was one of those times.

Who knew Grant was an artist? I didn't. Don didn't. We knew he could scribble and draw a few random things ("oh!!!! THAT is a car... NOW I see it....") but I've never drawn people with Grant before (not even a smiley face) so we didn't expect this! I was so surprised and delighted to find this in his work folder. His teacher was even surprised - most of the other kids leaned more toward abstract art than realism. And he did it all by himself.

Woven through my joy however was a strand of guilt. I started questioning..."Have I really never drawn a person with my son before? How can he be three years old and I haven't done that yet??"

I am fully aware of the statistics and realities of younger children not getting as much attention as the first child...especially those of us with high-maintenance first children. And while this may bring guilt to many of us multi-children parents, maybe it's not all so bad. I seem to find myself so presently surprised by some of Grant's accomplishments whereas with Olivia, I (honestly) sort of expect it.

So, this piece of artwork entitled "My Family" by the up and coming artist Grant Behringer has inspired me in two ways: to make sure we are giving equal attention to our second child and to maybe lay off of the first one a bit.

HaPpY HaLLoWeEn!

2008-11-02T15:39:00.038-05:00

Happy Halloween 2008!
This was the year that Halloween lasted and lasted. Costume ideas were generated in August... Grant, a pirate, and Olivia, the corpse bride. Olivia wanted to be the corpse bride last year (taken from the cartoon movie, The Corpse Bride- which is quite good) but chickened out. She wasn't quite ready to break from the girly stuff. The pumpkins were purchased the end of September on our return from North Carolina. We decorated the house on October 1. Olivia and Grant attended a costume birthday party for their friend Weston. We went to another friends (Chance) Grandpa's house for a halloween party - complete with hay rides, ghost hunts and spooky decorations. Oh, and a stumble into the fish pond. I guess Grant wanted to try out his pirate skills. Then it was halloween parties at school and finally, the big night of trick or treating. Whew...

First: Halloween Prep

We carved one pumpkin each night during the week to prolong the fun. Olivia and Grant came up with their designs on paper and Don carved them. We may have helped Grant a little in his design interpretations but Olivia's is 100% hers. I think she did well.Grant and Olivia Pumpkins...All aglow...The Great (family) Pumpkin... We had our yard decorated to the max this year. Each year we add a little bit more to our decor collection. We have gone with the creepy graveyard theme. We have tombstones, skulls, bones, corpses coming out of the ground, cobwebs and spiders and staked skulls. This year Don added a body inside our front room window. He stuffed his mechanics suit and placed a lifesize skull on top with creepy eyes stuck in the sockets. We sat it in a chair looking out the window. With the strobe light flashing behind it, it was enough to creep me out much less some of the trick or treaters. Some wouldn't even walk up the path. Success! All this and I cannot believe we forgot to take pictures of it. We promise to next year.The morning after we decorated, I awoke to giggling outside of our bedroom door. Grant and Olivia were being sneaky and trying to place a worm inside of our door. I let them finish and listened to them whispering and laughing on the other side for a little while. After snapping the photo (blurry, I know, but it was early!!) I opened the door with a scream, much to their delight.Second: School Parties

Both Olivia and Grant had Halloween parties at school this year. I volunteered to bake cupcakes and the kids helped and in fact, did most of the work.We made spiders and pumpkins...Costume prep...Grant as a pirate...Olivia was a cat for her school costume. When the party notice came home, it stated: "Please, no weapons, masks or scary costumes." Don and I conversed and I won the "is the corpse bride too scary to wear to school?" discussion. I will let you be the judge if you think the costume would have been too much for a first grade classroom...Any-hoo... I left work to attend the carnival at Grant's school. It was so nice and quaint. Grant goes to preschool at First Presbyterian and the school itself is small, nice and quaint. We are very happy there. Thanks for the recommendation Veronica!
Grant and one his favorite assistant teachers, Ms. Whitney...The carnival was run by volunteers from the church. It was complete with bean bag toss, treasure hunt and...

Fishing...Face painting, or mustache touchup...Personal hay rides. Grant's fave...He made this poor volunteer lug him around the courtyard at least 10 tens. Luckily no other kid really had any interest.Going down hill was the best part...Lastly, they went trick or treating in the church. Getting prepped...Grant was wheeling and dealing with the minister and asking for more! I was slightly embarrassed but it was funny... he was quite sincere about it.After it was all over, they had a seat in their room and were allowed to choose one trick or treat item to eat. Grant chose cheeze-its and in his excitement and determination to open them himself, the bag ripped open and they flew all over the place...Finally: The Big Night!

Olivia's friend Aislinn (and our friends Nicole and Kieran) came over to do some trick or treating. Olivia the corpse bride and Aislinn the cool, pretty witch. Quite a contrast. If you look closely you will see Olivia's blue swim cap under her wig. She complained that the hair itched so we thought we had the problem fixed. No luck. She complained from the moment it went on and complained and complained, and complained some more. Unfortunately I could only make her wear the hair for about 10 houses. Then I carried it and the dead flower bouquet and the pirate sword and eventually the pirate hat the rest of the night. Oh well. At least the pictures look good.And for costume #3 for the year... post trick or treating, we turned Olivia into the joker...And now, my favorite picture of the Halloween season (courtesy of Veronica). Olivia and Grant were invited to their friend Weston's costume birthday party (is that grammatically correct?!) I was working the ButterflyFest and met up with them later. So, Don dressed them and got to the party a little late (they were at the Fest with me). As they approached, he noticed lots of little girls dressed as fairies, princesses, angels, etc. When they turned to say hi to Olivia and Grant, their jaws dropped a little and they just stared wide-eyed at Olivia. I suppose she is a sight to behold for 3-6 yr old little kids. She almost lost her self confidence but Don cheerleaded her on and she had fun at the party. You will notice the little angel is standing jjjuuuuussssttttt far enough away and looking slightly uncomfortable...Priceless!

I think what is the most fun about this costume choice is that in Olivia's mind, she is beautiful. Let me explain... in case you haven't seen the movie, "The Corpse Bride" it is about a lovely young woman who was killed by her husband shortly after being married so he could take all of her money. She so desperately wants to be loved and married that she comes back from the dead to marry a "live" young man. It is actually a charming animated movie that isn't as creepy as it sounds. Anyway, the bride is quite pretty for a corpse and you end up feeling sorry for her. I believe these two things are what inspired Olivia to be the corpse bride. So, while most view her costume as a creepy corpse, I believe she sees herself as a beautiful young bride that wants to find true love. It's all in the eye of the beholder, right?

The Halloween season wore us all out. The next day, Grant fell asleep by 6:00, Olivia by 7:30 and me by 9:00. Until next year...

Flat Stanley's Adventures in Gainesville, FL

2008-11-01T20:29:00.013-04:00

Flat Stanley came to visit us this week!

He arrived in the mail during UF's homecoming week. Perfect timing to join us in some homecoming related events. The University and schools shut down for homecoming so first up on Friday was the homecoming parade along University Avenue. Unfortunately it was raining so we got there late and it ended early. The parade itself has a very home town/college town feel to it but the kids like it. Poor Flat Stanley spent most of the time in his plastic baggie raincoat so he was unable to clap, do the Gator chomp or grab candy that was thrown from the floats.

On Saturday, we bought Flat Stanley a ticket to the Florida vs. Kentucky homecoming football game. We cheered the Gators to a 63 - 5 victory and Flat Stanley lost his voice from yelling so loudly.Tebow running it in...The marching band played and danced to Michael Jackson's Thriller during half-time. The crowd got into it. Don commented, "I believe this is the first time I have ever clapped for the band..." Terri, don't take offense. I think it's because back in the day he would leave at half-time, do shots, and race back for third quarter. It was called "Kamikaze half-time." They don't allow you to leave and return anymore so I think he realized what he was missing all those years :)Then, per tradition, they bunch up and play right in front of the student section...The obligatory gator photo...He even bought himself a souvenir Tim Tebow jersey...

Oh no. A little too much fun for Flat Stanley...One of our favorite places to visit is Payne's Prairie. We had yet to hike the Bolen's Bluff trail so we took Flat Stanley on Sunday. The weather was PHENOMENAL... We met a friendly little boy (and his parents) on the trail and the kids had fun exploring with him. Here they holding a fuzzy caterpillar on the stick...Cattle, bison and horses can been seen on the prairie, but it is rare. In the 1500-1600s, Spanish colonists began cattle ranching in the prairie. The wild animals are descendants of those brought over by the Spanish and left to roam free after the British raids in the early 1600s. On our hike, We were very fortunateto see some of the wild horses! Seven of them were resting under shade trees right along the trail.It appears they are used to people as we were able to get quite close...Flat Stanley had his own adventure too. When we were gathering for a group photo, he decided he wanted to explore the prairie by himself and jumped from the observation deck into the bushes and grasses below!! Luckily, he wasn't hurt but he did get tangled in some vines and couldn't get out. Since we didn't have boots or long pants on (we were warned that moccasins were present), a kind stranger offered to rescue Flat Stanley for us. Three cheers for David!Flat Stanley is now in the mail on his way back to our nephew Ben's school where he will tell all the students about his fun adventures in Gainesville, Florida.