I can't believe it's been since August that I've posted on my blog. Wow...time has flown by. I definitely intended to write a post when Jimmy and I spent Labor Day weekend in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic with friends or when I watched U of M win its 300th football game in a nail biter agains MSU or countless other times when Carter did something that was just darn cute. While these posts were written in my head they didn't make their way to the information highway.
I have been doing a lot of self reflection over these last few months. Mostly with trying to figure out what I am going to do with the next chapter of my life. Should I ride out being at home with Carter and Jimmy until we make our way back to California, should I go back to work, or should I take this time to explore interests and volunteer opportunities that I most likely won't be able to do once we move back to California? So many thoughts spinning around in my head was driving me crazy. My brain needed an intervention. I decided to add meditation to my life. My father has been meditating nearly daily for many years so I sought his guidance. He encouraged me to start slowly, suggested some readings, and warned that it would be a challenge but to keep trying. Like most new experiences, I started out with conviction. I began waking up every morning at 6:30 am and began meditating for 5 minutes. Believe it or not, that was probably the most challenging 5 minutes of my day. It's crazy where your mind leads you when you're trying to clear all thoughts. I continued this routine for about a week and then 6:30 am became 7 am became 7:15 am became meditating in the evening instead of the morning became not meditating at all. At this point, I haven't meditated for about two weeks. Granted, I haven't been home for the last 4 weekends (or all of last week) but I hope to get to a point where location is not a deterrent to seeking the few moments of solace my brain (and spirit) really needs. Part of the challenge, I believe, is finding the right time and space for mediation. Morning has never been my strong suit. I used to consider myself a night owl but since having the little one (and being married if you ask Jimmy) I'm pretty useless after 10 pm. My brain wants to shut down and veg out in front of the tv. With that being said, meditation is a work in progress for me.
For the 2 weeks I meditated consistently, I did see a change in my actions. I completed my application to the Indiana State Bar (which I had been putting off for no good reason), I began searching for jobs, I sought out volunteer opportunities, and overall, I started feeling more secure about where I am in life. This feeling hit home yesterday while I was in church. The pastor did a sermon on Revelations 6 and 7 and discussed how "salvation belongs to God." What this meant to me was that I need to stop worrying about willing my life in a certain direction and trust that God is leading me in the right direction. Now, that doesn't mean that I'm going to sit on my couch and wait for God to send me a subliminal message in a promo for The Voice (shout out). I am going to continue to be "in action" and put myself in situations where my next step may be revealed. If I say I believe in God, then I should also consider that I am where I'm supposed to be right now. I am ok with that. My life is GREAT and if you hear me complain (about anything) please remind me of that fact.
12 November 2012
18 August 2012
Pool Parties
We went to two pool parties today. The first was for my mommy group and the second was for a birthday party. I was able to time it perfectly so that we left the first party with one hour to spare before the next which allowed Carter to sleep nearly the entire hour in his carseat while I drove to the locale and stopped for gas. His nap was long enough to recharge him for the birthday party and ensure he wasn't in a cranky mood. Both went off without a hitch and we had a lot of fun. Needless to say we were both exhausted by the time we got home. I hurriedly gave Carter a bath, got him into bed, and then took liberty to have my own relaxing bath and am now watching a movie.
Here are some picks from today's fun.
Here are some picks from today's fun.
16 August 2012
Another Fabulous Girls' Weekend
This past weekend I met up with my three roommates (April, Freddie, and Ebony) from my Sophomore year at the University of Michigan for our annual girls' trip. This year we found our way to New York City. City of Lights, City of Dreams...City of Too Much Trash on the Street, City of Raw Sewage Stench, and City of Too Much Exhaust from Taxi Cabs if you ask me. Nonetheless, I always enjoy myself when I'm there and this trip was no exception.
April and I experienced flight delays on Friday due to thunderstorms on the east coast but luckily we both arrived in time to avoid any major upset of our plans. Freddie was heading up from D.C. on the commuter bus and Ebony was already in Long Island and was going to meet up with us later, so April and I decided to grab dinner. We stayed at the Doubletree in Timesquare so we were centrally located to almost anywhere we wanted to go. After dinner, we rushed over to see the Broadway production of Porgy & Bess but to our disappointment the star of the show Audra McDonald was not performing. Bummer! The show was still pretty good; although I liked it a bit more than April who didn't care for the musical arrangements. When the show was over we walked a couple of blocks to meet up with Freddie, our friend Russell, and another college classmate Paul for drinks at Havana Central. Next, we headed downtown to a club called Crimson where a childhood friend of mine was hosting a party. Luckily he was at the door when we arrived so we didn't have to pay a cover. Thanks Elkhair! Despite the DJ being a little suspect on his mixing and musical selection skills we still had a good time and partied like it was 1999 (that year is actually relevant to us since we were in college at the time). April and I finally called it quits at 3:30 am but Freddie and Ebony continued to party until at least 4:30 am. We were sleep by the time they made it back to the hotel.
Needless to say, Saturday was a slow morning. My eyes didn't open until around 11am and that was only because April left the curtains open and I was blinded by the sun. When we finally pulled ourselves together it was 1 pm and we were headed out the door to grab some lunch. Now, the place we choose was in SoHo which was probably about a 10-15 min cab ride from our hotel. But nooo...me being the adventurous person I am suggested taking the subway instead. Why did this little excursion turn into an hour lost from our lives. We had to walk three blocks to the subway station and then took the train uptown instead of downtown so we had to get off, cross the platform, and head back downtown. When we finally got off the train 20 minutes later, we had to walk another 3-4 blocks to the restaurant. I promptly apologized to everyone and promised not to have anymore bright ideas during the trip. The food at the restaurant called Jane was delicious so all was forgiven.
After lunch we met up with a law school classmate of mine who led us through the retail streets of SoHo. Living in Los Angeles for 10 years I just have to say that SoHo puts Rodeo Drive to shame. Between the streets of 6th Ave and Broadway on the east/west and Houston and Broome on the north/south there has to be more retail stores than in any other singular locale. There was just about every store I've ever heard of and some that I have never heard of or rarely see. Higher end designers included Louis Vuitton, Ana Sui, Chanel, Hugo Boss, and Dior; mid-range stores included Banana Republic, J. Crew, Adidas, Puma, and Express; and lower range stores included H&M, American Apparel, Topshop, and Aldo Shoes. Some of the more uncommonly seen stores included countless private boutiques, a Beats by Dre (only one in the nation) and a Chobani Yogurt store where we were served chilled plain yogurt in glass bowls filled with toppings of our choosing. It was definitely retail overload. I was so overwhelmed that I wasn't even prepared to shop. I did buy Jimmy a couple of shirts from Hugo Boss but I was only successful at that because I already knew exactly what I was looking for. So that I'm better prepared next time I find myself there, I am going to start a SoHo shopping fund, save up several thousand dollars, map out my shopping course, and wreak havoc on the streets of New York. Who knows how long that will take but mark my words "I'll be back."
Our feet were tired after walking around so we took my friend up on his offer to visit the bar he works at in the East Village. The bar is called Please Don't Tell or PDT and won the first ever James Beard Foundation award for Outstanding Bar Program. Upon entering the bar you can tell you're in for a cool experience. In order to get in you must first enter a hot dog shop called Crif Dogs and then enter a phone booth in the corner. Once you pick up the phone in the booth a secret door of sorts opens up and you are greeted by a host. Now, there are only 13 bar seats and 5 small table tops in the entire bar so in order to maintain a private feel once those seats are taken no one else is allowed in. As you can imagine, reservations are highly recommended. Walk-ins are accepted, however, you may find yourself waiting a while before getting in. Once in, you are greeted by very friendly (yes, there are friendly people in New York) and knowledgeable servers and bartenders. The menu contains various cocktails inspired by prohibition era spirits all of which are $15. It also contains a small food selection of hot dogs using ingredients from notable New York restaurants. We had a great experience there and would recommend a visit to anyone in the area. As an aside, it was kind of weird stepping back into the daylight after being in a dark speakeasy for an hour so make sure you have your sunglasses.
From there we quickly headed back to the hotel to freshen up and get dressed for the evening. We met up with yet another college classmate Daria at Tillman's, a lounge known for good music and a chill vibe. The DJ was late setting up so by the time we had a couple of drinks we were ready to check out another place. We taxi'ed it to Beauty and Essex, an upscale restaurant that converts into a lounge/club late night. Once there we met up with even more U of M classmates so this really was turning into a reunion of sorts. We partied even harder at this spot than we did the night before. The DJ was on point and the crowd was a lot of fun. Unfortunately for Freddie, she missed the fun because she was at the hotel in the bed. Apparently, she can only handle one night of partying at a time. The rest of us stayed out until about 5 am and then headed back to the hotel to crash. Freddie served as our wake up call later that morning since she woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed.
We managed to pull ourselves together enough to meet my uncle, his wife and daughter, as well as a friend I went to high school with at Melba's in Harlem. I was looking forward to a good soul food breakfast and had seen Melba on The View marketing her Fried Chicken and Egg Nog Waffles. I decided to get Salmon Croquettes and taste someone else's waffles. I was not blown away by the food. It was good but not great and the waffles she is known for tasted a little heavy to me. There were also reports from the table that the chicken was dry. My uncle said we must try Amy Ruth's next time we're in town because it's much better. Nevertheless, I had a great time catching up with family and my old (but still young) friend.
To close out the trip April and I had a farewell glass of wine at Blue Fin overlooking Timesquare. All in all, we had a fabulous time and I can't wait to see where we're headed next year.
P.S. I think I over did it because not only was I sleep on the airplane before my flight took off but I woke up Monday morning feeling something kind of awful with a sore throat and nasty cough. This is exactly why I can only party like this a couple times a year.
April and I experienced flight delays on Friday due to thunderstorms on the east coast but luckily we both arrived in time to avoid any major upset of our plans. Freddie was heading up from D.C. on the commuter bus and Ebony was already in Long Island and was going to meet up with us later, so April and I decided to grab dinner. We stayed at the Doubletree in Timesquare so we were centrally located to almost anywhere we wanted to go. After dinner, we rushed over to see the Broadway production of Porgy & Bess but to our disappointment the star of the show Audra McDonald was not performing. Bummer! The show was still pretty good; although I liked it a bit more than April who didn't care for the musical arrangements. When the show was over we walked a couple of blocks to meet up with Freddie, our friend Russell, and another college classmate Paul for drinks at Havana Central. Next, we headed downtown to a club called Crimson where a childhood friend of mine was hosting a party. Luckily he was at the door when we arrived so we didn't have to pay a cover. Thanks Elkhair! Despite the DJ being a little suspect on his mixing and musical selection skills we still had a good time and partied like it was 1999 (that year is actually relevant to us since we were in college at the time). April and I finally called it quits at 3:30 am but Freddie and Ebony continued to party until at least 4:30 am. We were sleep by the time they made it back to the hotel.
Needless to say, Saturday was a slow morning. My eyes didn't open until around 11am and that was only because April left the curtains open and I was blinded by the sun. When we finally pulled ourselves together it was 1 pm and we were headed out the door to grab some lunch. Now, the place we choose was in SoHo which was probably about a 10-15 min cab ride from our hotel. But nooo...me being the adventurous person I am suggested taking the subway instead. Why did this little excursion turn into an hour lost from our lives. We had to walk three blocks to the subway station and then took the train uptown instead of downtown so we had to get off, cross the platform, and head back downtown. When we finally got off the train 20 minutes later, we had to walk another 3-4 blocks to the restaurant. I promptly apologized to everyone and promised not to have anymore bright ideas during the trip. The food at the restaurant called Jane was delicious so all was forgiven.
After lunch we met up with a law school classmate of mine who led us through the retail streets of SoHo. Living in Los Angeles for 10 years I just have to say that SoHo puts Rodeo Drive to shame. Between the streets of 6th Ave and Broadway on the east/west and Houston and Broome on the north/south there has to be more retail stores than in any other singular locale. There was just about every store I've ever heard of and some that I have never heard of or rarely see. Higher end designers included Louis Vuitton, Ana Sui, Chanel, Hugo Boss, and Dior; mid-range stores included Banana Republic, J. Crew, Adidas, Puma, and Express; and lower range stores included H&M, American Apparel, Topshop, and Aldo Shoes. Some of the more uncommonly seen stores included countless private boutiques, a Beats by Dre (only one in the nation) and a Chobani Yogurt store where we were served chilled plain yogurt in glass bowls filled with toppings of our choosing. It was definitely retail overload. I was so overwhelmed that I wasn't even prepared to shop. I did buy Jimmy a couple of shirts from Hugo Boss but I was only successful at that because I already knew exactly what I was looking for. So that I'm better prepared next time I find myself there, I am going to start a SoHo shopping fund, save up several thousand dollars, map out my shopping course, and wreak havoc on the streets of New York. Who knows how long that will take but mark my words "I'll be back."
Our feet were tired after walking around so we took my friend up on his offer to visit the bar he works at in the East Village. The bar is called Please Don't Tell or PDT and won the first ever James Beard Foundation award for Outstanding Bar Program. Upon entering the bar you can tell you're in for a cool experience. In order to get in you must first enter a hot dog shop called Crif Dogs and then enter a phone booth in the corner. Once you pick up the phone in the booth a secret door of sorts opens up and you are greeted by a host. Now, there are only 13 bar seats and 5 small table tops in the entire bar so in order to maintain a private feel once those seats are taken no one else is allowed in. As you can imagine, reservations are highly recommended. Walk-ins are accepted, however, you may find yourself waiting a while before getting in. Once in, you are greeted by very friendly (yes, there are friendly people in New York) and knowledgeable servers and bartenders. The menu contains various cocktails inspired by prohibition era spirits all of which are $15. It also contains a small food selection of hot dogs using ingredients from notable New York restaurants. We had a great experience there and would recommend a visit to anyone in the area. As an aside, it was kind of weird stepping back into the daylight after being in a dark speakeasy for an hour so make sure you have your sunglasses.
From there we quickly headed back to the hotel to freshen up and get dressed for the evening. We met up with yet another college classmate Daria at Tillman's, a lounge known for good music and a chill vibe. The DJ was late setting up so by the time we had a couple of drinks we were ready to check out another place. We taxi'ed it to Beauty and Essex, an upscale restaurant that converts into a lounge/club late night. Once there we met up with even more U of M classmates so this really was turning into a reunion of sorts. We partied even harder at this spot than we did the night before. The DJ was on point and the crowd was a lot of fun. Unfortunately for Freddie, she missed the fun because she was at the hotel in the bed. Apparently, she can only handle one night of partying at a time. The rest of us stayed out until about 5 am and then headed back to the hotel to crash. Freddie served as our wake up call later that morning since she woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed.
We managed to pull ourselves together enough to meet my uncle, his wife and daughter, as well as a friend I went to high school with at Melba's in Harlem. I was looking forward to a good soul food breakfast and had seen Melba on The View marketing her Fried Chicken and Egg Nog Waffles. I decided to get Salmon Croquettes and taste someone else's waffles. I was not blown away by the food. It was good but not great and the waffles she is known for tasted a little heavy to me. There were also reports from the table that the chicken was dry. My uncle said we must try Amy Ruth's next time we're in town because it's much better. Nevertheless, I had a great time catching up with family and my old (but still young) friend.
To close out the trip April and I had a farewell glass of wine at Blue Fin overlooking Timesquare. All in all, we had a fabulous time and I can't wait to see where we're headed next year.
P.S. I think I over did it because not only was I sleep on the airplane before my flight took off but I woke up Monday morning feeling something kind of awful with a sore throat and nasty cough. This is exactly why I can only party like this a couple times a year.
15 August 2012
Carter's 1st Day of School
Today was Carter's first day of the 2012-2013 school year. It was also his first day at a new school Interactive Academy. He attended a different school February through May of this year but I decided to make a switch after hearing great things about IA from neighbors and after going to visit and finding that they have a full size gymnastics studio in-house. The kids get to use the studio during gym class and when it's too cold to go outside. Sweet! I wish this was an option when I was in school. I enrolled Carter in a one week long summer camp at IA at the beginning of August so he would have some familiarity with the school before starting today. His schedule is M, W, F from 8:30am-3pm. I know this may seem like a long day for a two year old but they nap for 1.5-2 hours of that time. This is a significant increase from his schedule earlier this year which was T, Th 8:30am-12:20pm, after which he would come home and nap for 2 hours. The difference now is (in addition to the extra day) that I get to utilize nap time to get some stuff done outside of the house.
I was worried about how Carter would react when I dropped him off this morning because he has literally been connected at my hip all summer. If we hadn't already bonded we definitely solidified our bond during our two week solo road trip in June. "Carter, you're my boy!" (uhhh...literally) Anyhow, I was afraid he may have some separation anxiety. It took us about 10 minutes to get from the parking lot to the classroom because he seemed to be so fascinated with all the other kids and parents walking into the school. Then when we got to his classroom, his teacher greeted him with a "Hey Carter! So good to see you!" I thought this would be enough to warm him up so I took this as my opportunity to make a run for it. Not so fast. He was right behind me with that look of betrayal on his face that only kids can make. I like to call it the "you're not leaving me, are you" look. Darn it! So I tried again by coaxing him into the classroom and saying "Have fun Carter. See you later." That's our signature goodbye. I can only assume it worked because as soon as I said it I turned to walk out the door before giving him a chance to respond. I didn't hear any tears or screams as I left so I think he was alright.
At round 10:15am I received a phone call from my neighbor who was calling to tell she had seen Carter at school and that he seemed to be having a good time. She takes a boot camp class at IA and saw his class in the gymnastics studio. She said he was the most talkative of his classmates. No surprise there. We definitely have a little motor mouth on our hands. The funny thing is I knew he was going to be a motor mouth before he could even talk. He would just always make noises and used a lot of gibberish to try to communicate. My neighbor told me that he just kept saying "Mommy and Daddy coming soon." Awww...it just breaks my heart. Not really. Five hours later still counts as "soon" right? When I picked him up that afternoon he was all smiles as I thought he would be and his teacher said he had a great day. By Friday I'm sure there will be no issues at drop off and all he'll say is "Bye-Bye Mommy. See you later."
Here are a couple of pics from his first day.
I was worried about how Carter would react when I dropped him off this morning because he has literally been connected at my hip all summer. If we hadn't already bonded we definitely solidified our bond during our two week solo road trip in June. "Carter, you're my boy!" (uhhh...literally) Anyhow, I was afraid he may have some separation anxiety. It took us about 10 minutes to get from the parking lot to the classroom because he seemed to be so fascinated with all the other kids and parents walking into the school. Then when we got to his classroom, his teacher greeted him with a "Hey Carter! So good to see you!" I thought this would be enough to warm him up so I took this as my opportunity to make a run for it. Not so fast. He was right behind me with that look of betrayal on his face that only kids can make. I like to call it the "you're not leaving me, are you" look. Darn it! So I tried again by coaxing him into the classroom and saying "Have fun Carter. See you later." That's our signature goodbye. I can only assume it worked because as soon as I said it I turned to walk out the door before giving him a chance to respond. I didn't hear any tears or screams as I left so I think he was alright.
At round 10:15am I received a phone call from my neighbor who was calling to tell she had seen Carter at school and that he seemed to be having a good time. She takes a boot camp class at IA and saw his class in the gymnastics studio. She said he was the most talkative of his classmates. No surprise there. We definitely have a little motor mouth on our hands. The funny thing is I knew he was going to be a motor mouth before he could even talk. He would just always make noises and used a lot of gibberish to try to communicate. My neighbor told me that he just kept saying "Mommy and Daddy coming soon." Awww...it just breaks my heart. Not really. Five hours later still counts as "soon" right? When I picked him up that afternoon he was all smiles as I thought he would be and his teacher said he had a great day. By Friday I'm sure there will be no issues at drop off and all he'll say is "Bye-Bye Mommy. See you later."
Here are a couple of pics from his first day.
20 July 2012
Carter's First Movie Experience
My dad mentioned that he wanted to take Carter to the movies when we were visiting last weekend. I told him I didn't think it was a good idea. Until today, I hadn't taken Carter to a movie theater because I didn't think his attention span would allow him to sit still for 90 minutes in a dark room (Mickey Mouse Clubhouse excluded). Due to a unique set of circumstances, I decided to test that theory today.
I went to pick up my niece and nephew around 2:30 pm today for a 2-day sleepover. Carter was scheduled for a haircut at 4:30 pm (Jimmy has been fired as the barber) so I proposed that the youngsters go to see Spiderman at 3:30 pm and I come and pick them up when the movie ended at 6 pm. Great plan, except that I still had time to kill before Carter's haircut. I decided that we would watch the Disney movie "Brave" for an hour and then leave for the haircut. I really would have preferred Madagascar or Ice Age because I think the animal characters would have a better chance at piquing his interest. However, the timing wasn't right for those movies so we had to go with what was playing.
We arrived at the theater at 3 pm and Spiderman didn't start until 3:30 pm so initially all four of us started watching "Brave". Carter started off well. He was laughing and pointing at the screen and calling out "trees" and "horsey" (very loud I might add). Then he started taking turns climbing into my seat and then climbing into my niece's seat. Then he turned around in his seat, stood up, and started waving at the people behind him. I still thought we would make it through our planned hour...that is, until my niece and nephew excused themselves to head over to Spidey. As soon as they left, Carter looked at me like "what's going on" and began whining "I wanna go too." Now, I'm that parent everyone is wishing would get up and remove her child from the theater. Well, I obliged; but only after he started throwing his "GiGi Bear" on the floor and yelling out "Noooooo" every time I picked it up. Unfortunately, in my effort to leave quickly and quietly, I forgot my purse and had to go back and get it. I was kind of bummed because the movie was actually good and I wanted to stay and watch it. Guess I'll just have to add it to my Netflix queue.
After we left the theater, we headed over to the children's play area in the mall to pass the remaining 20 minutes before heading to his haircut appointment. This was a much better option and the one I should have chosen from the start. Oh well...at least I now know for sure that he is not ready for the movie theater. I'll try again in a few months.
28 June 2012
Road Trip Parts II and III
We stayed busy in Atlanta. Thursday (6/21) we went swimming in the morning and then to the park in the afternoon. Friday Carter and I spent most of the day with my Aunt Carolyn and cousins LaCara and Maiela. I haven't seen them in over a year so it was nice to catch up. Friday night, Michon and I hit the town for a ladies' night. We went to a cozy restaurant in Buckhead called Georgia Grille. If you're in the area and love enchiladas and/or quesadillas, check this place out. I had a Lobster Enchilada and Michon had a Shrimp Enchilada. We both loved our food and the Key Lime Margaritas we had with it. Our plan was to hang out at a lounge afterwards but being that neither one of us knew where the hot spots are, we decided to drive around through our old stomping grounds in Buckhead. Apparently, the old party area that was stacked with bars, lounges, restaurants, and clubs has been demolished to make room for a new live/work/shop development similar to Atlantic Station but with a Rodeo Drive feel. Unfortunately, all it is right now is a construction site that, according to Michon, has been stalled due to lack of funding. Seeing the construction site was like attending the funeral of my single girl party days. I spent a lot of fun nights in my late teens and twenties there. We finally ended up at STK where we agreed to stay long enough to have one drink. As we stood by the bar checking out the scene of twenty-something females and forty-something males, we agreed that we didn't miss being single. We also agreed that we were "old," which was confirmed when, in sync, we headed for the door as soon as the last sip of our drinks trickled down our throats. We were home by midnight but it felt like 2 am.
Saturday morning we had brunch with my cousin Marcus who just finished his junior year at Morehouse. We're so proud of him! Then we headed to Georgia State to watch Maiela, who just finished her freshman year in high school, play in a bball tourney. It brought back some memories of my high school basketball days. Especially since she runs point like I did. I must say, her skills are better than mine ever were and she still has three years to get better. I hope to see her playing college ball in a few years.
After the game, we rushed back to Michon's house for baby Morgan's 1st birthday party. This is when the real fun began. Can we say seven kids all under the age of 6. Did I mention that their favorite game involved everyone running to and from the couch while screaming and yelling "Baby Carter," who somehow became the unofficial mascot. Maybe because his scream had the highest pitch. Even baby Morgan tried to get in on the action...from her high chair no less. It was a lot of fun to see the kids have so much fun but the screaming started to get old after 10-15 minutes so we had to find another game that was more sensitive on the ears. By the time the party was over, I felt like I was drunk, high, or a combination of both. My ears were ringing, my vision was blurry, and every time I tried to stand up my balance was just a little unstable. Who knew kids could reek so much havoc.
Sunday morning we enjoyed an uplifting church service before packing up and hitting the road to Pensacola. (Thank you Sherman for helping me load up the car. I think we both almost passed out from the heat.) It took us about 6 hours to get to Pensacola, which was nothing after the drive to Atlanta. My plan was to stop at the first Starbucks we came across to get my new pick me up drink, a Tall Chai Latte with a shot of espresso. Why did we drive almost 2 hours before seeing a Starbucks? I didn't think it was possible to travel that far in this country without a Starbucks. I was shocked and appalled and for the first time realized we weren't in civilization anymore. :-) I finally found one in Auburn, AL. After some quick caffeine, we were on the road again. We next stopped in Montgomery to eat the lunch I packed for us and to stretch our legs. Most of the drive in Florida was done on a local highway that weaved through small towns and farmland. On the major expressways you can forget you're driving through the South but when you're on a two lane road passing mobile home parks and houses on cinder blocks I was quickly reminded that I was in a world very different from the one I live in everyday. I felt very thankful and blessed to have the great fortune, family, and friends that I do.
Pensacola was great. It was our recovery stop after being in a highly charged house full of kids. When we arrived Sunday evening, my Uncle George took us to Cracker Barrel (apparently, one of his regular spots since the servers knew his name and sat him at his usual table). When we got back to the house my Aunt Alexa was getting out of a taxi from the airport after a 10 day cruise in Italy and Greece. What I saw next gave me hope that Jimmy and I will still be giddy in love in 20 years. As soon as George saw the taxi he immediately turned off his car (in the middle of the driveway) and raced over to the taxi to give Alexa a big bear hug and tender kiss. I don't think I've ever seen him that excited. It was so cute! In that moment, he forgot that Carter and I even existed.
The next day (I think it was Monday 6/25 but honestly I've started to lose track of days and dates) we explored Pensacola heading to downtown, the famous fish market Joe Patti's, an awesome new concept store called The Bodacious Olive, and the beach. The Bodacious Olive is a store dedicated to selling freshly infused olive oils and balsamic vinegars. It was like a wine tasting bar but with olive oil and vinegar. You could taste as many flavors as you wanted and they even offered bread to dip. We settled on the Wild Mushroom and Sage infused olive oil and Cranberry Pear White Balsamic Vinegar. We also bought some freshly made penne to go with the shrimp we were planning on buying from Joe Patti's. We were planning on making the pasta dish for dinner but made the mistake of stopping by a world market grocer and having the most delicious sandwich I've ever had. It had tabouleh, pesto, and hummus, and was served on warm french bread. Oh my goodness! I know most of you won't think that sounds appealing but...oh my goodness...delicious! Needless to stay, I wasn't hungry for dinner so we had to postpone the pasta dish for lunch the next day.
Tuesday (6/26) we decided to stay low key and rest up for the trip ahead of us. We went swimming in the afternoon but pretty much veg'ed out for the rest of the day. Especially after eating the yummy penne pasta with wild mushrooms, zucchini, shrimp, and the infused olive oil we bought. Today we packed up, went to lunch at a lovely restaurant on the marina, and then hit the road for Jacksonville, where we are now. The drive was going smoothly until not far past Tallahassee, I-10 E was shut down at I-75. The worst part was that there were no signs directing drivers to the detour. In fact, the only way I found the detour was to pull over at a rest stop and look it up on my phone. Who does that! What if I didn't have a phone with internet. I would have been out of luck. The detour ended up adding at least an hour to our already long trip. By the time we got to our hotel it was 10:45 pm. I get out of the car and walk around to Carter's door so we can go inside to check in and as soon as I open his door his Mega Blocks start pouring out and fall to the ground. I had to laugh to keep from crying. Then, as if things couldn't get worse, the desk clerk informs me that there has been a water main break and that the water in the hotel will be shut off from 11 pm to 6 am. Fabulous!
As you can see, by the fact that I'm typing this at 3:39 in the morning, I still haven't wound down from the trip. That espresso stuff really works. I'm going to make myself go to sleep now so I can continue on our journey to Savannah in the morning where we'll be reunited with Jimmy after a week and a half away from him. We miss you honey and can't wait to see you!
Here are a few more pics from the trip so far.
Mama Nan with the kids.
The whole crew, one year older.
Carter with Uncle George and Aunt Alexa.
Even after the long drive, he's all smiles. You just gotta love this kid.
Saturday morning we had brunch with my cousin Marcus who just finished his junior year at Morehouse. We're so proud of him! Then we headed to Georgia State to watch Maiela, who just finished her freshman year in high school, play in a bball tourney. It brought back some memories of my high school basketball days. Especially since she runs point like I did. I must say, her skills are better than mine ever were and she still has three years to get better. I hope to see her playing college ball in a few years.
After the game, we rushed back to Michon's house for baby Morgan's 1st birthday party. This is when the real fun began. Can we say seven kids all under the age of 6. Did I mention that their favorite game involved everyone running to and from the couch while screaming and yelling "Baby Carter," who somehow became the unofficial mascot. Maybe because his scream had the highest pitch. Even baby Morgan tried to get in on the action...from her high chair no less. It was a lot of fun to see the kids have so much fun but the screaming started to get old after 10-15 minutes so we had to find another game that was more sensitive on the ears. By the time the party was over, I felt like I was drunk, high, or a combination of both. My ears were ringing, my vision was blurry, and every time I tried to stand up my balance was just a little unstable. Who knew kids could reek so much havoc.
Sunday morning we enjoyed an uplifting church service before packing up and hitting the road to Pensacola. (Thank you Sherman for helping me load up the car. I think we both almost passed out from the heat.) It took us about 6 hours to get to Pensacola, which was nothing after the drive to Atlanta. My plan was to stop at the first Starbucks we came across to get my new pick me up drink, a Tall Chai Latte with a shot of espresso. Why did we drive almost 2 hours before seeing a Starbucks? I didn't think it was possible to travel that far in this country without a Starbucks. I was shocked and appalled and for the first time realized we weren't in civilization anymore. :-) I finally found one in Auburn, AL. After some quick caffeine, we were on the road again. We next stopped in Montgomery to eat the lunch I packed for us and to stretch our legs. Most of the drive in Florida was done on a local highway that weaved through small towns and farmland. On the major expressways you can forget you're driving through the South but when you're on a two lane road passing mobile home parks and houses on cinder blocks I was quickly reminded that I was in a world very different from the one I live in everyday. I felt very thankful and blessed to have the great fortune, family, and friends that I do.
Pensacola was great. It was our recovery stop after being in a highly charged house full of kids. When we arrived Sunday evening, my Uncle George took us to Cracker Barrel (apparently, one of his regular spots since the servers knew his name and sat him at his usual table). When we got back to the house my Aunt Alexa was getting out of a taxi from the airport after a 10 day cruise in Italy and Greece. What I saw next gave me hope that Jimmy and I will still be giddy in love in 20 years. As soon as George saw the taxi he immediately turned off his car (in the middle of the driveway) and raced over to the taxi to give Alexa a big bear hug and tender kiss. I don't think I've ever seen him that excited. It was so cute! In that moment, he forgot that Carter and I even existed.
The next day (I think it was Monday 6/25 but honestly I've started to lose track of days and dates) we explored Pensacola heading to downtown, the famous fish market Joe Patti's, an awesome new concept store called The Bodacious Olive, and the beach. The Bodacious Olive is a store dedicated to selling freshly infused olive oils and balsamic vinegars. It was like a wine tasting bar but with olive oil and vinegar. You could taste as many flavors as you wanted and they even offered bread to dip. We settled on the Wild Mushroom and Sage infused olive oil and Cranberry Pear White Balsamic Vinegar. We also bought some freshly made penne to go with the shrimp we were planning on buying from Joe Patti's. We were planning on making the pasta dish for dinner but made the mistake of stopping by a world market grocer and having the most delicious sandwich I've ever had. It had tabouleh, pesto, and hummus, and was served on warm french bread. Oh my goodness! I know most of you won't think that sounds appealing but...oh my goodness...delicious! Needless to stay, I wasn't hungry for dinner so we had to postpone the pasta dish for lunch the next day.
Tuesday (6/26) we decided to stay low key and rest up for the trip ahead of us. We went swimming in the afternoon but pretty much veg'ed out for the rest of the day. Especially after eating the yummy penne pasta with wild mushrooms, zucchini, shrimp, and the infused olive oil we bought. Today we packed up, went to lunch at a lovely restaurant on the marina, and then hit the road for Jacksonville, where we are now. The drive was going smoothly until not far past Tallahassee, I-10 E was shut down at I-75. The worst part was that there were no signs directing drivers to the detour. In fact, the only way I found the detour was to pull over at a rest stop and look it up on my phone. Who does that! What if I didn't have a phone with internet. I would have been out of luck. The detour ended up adding at least an hour to our already long trip. By the time we got to our hotel it was 10:45 pm. I get out of the car and walk around to Carter's door so we can go inside to check in and as soon as I open his door his Mega Blocks start pouring out and fall to the ground. I had to laugh to keep from crying. Then, as if things couldn't get worse, the desk clerk informs me that there has been a water main break and that the water in the hotel will be shut off from 11 pm to 6 am. Fabulous!
As you can see, by the fact that I'm typing this at 3:39 in the morning, I still haven't wound down from the trip. That espresso stuff really works. I'm going to make myself go to sleep now so I can continue on our journey to Savannah in the morning where we'll be reunited with Jimmy after a week and a half away from him. We miss you honey and can't wait to see you!
Here are a few more pics from the trip so far.
Mama Nan with the kids.
The whole crew, one year older.
Carter with Uncle George and Aunt Alexa.
Even after the long drive, he's all smiles. You just gotta love this kid.
20 June 2012
Road Trip, Part I
On Monday, Carter and I embarked on what will be a 3 week road trip in the South. Our first stop is Atlanta where we are visiting friends and family. Then we are moving on to Pensacola, Florida and finally to Savannah, Georgia and Hilton Head, South Carolina. For the first few legs of the trip, Carter and I are riding solo until Savannah where we meet up with Jimmy. It took us about 11 hours to get to Atlanta. We only had to stop twice which exceeded my expectations with a 2 year old. We stopped once at a rest stop in Kentucky to use the restroom and eat a snack and then we stopped in Nashville at a Chick Fil-A with a playroom to eat dinner and to give Carter a chance to burn some energy. It took us about 5 hours from Nashville to Atlanta and Carter was amazing. He didn't cry, whine, complain...nothing. He just alternated between watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on my phone and looking out the window taking in the scenery. Every once in awhile he would call out an airplane or a truck he saw but for the most part he was quiet and looked to be in deep contemplation (he must get that from me). I know most parents think their kids are awesome...but my kid is the awesomist (yes, I did just make up a word). We arrived at my friend Michon's house around 11 pm we both collapsed in the bed. Unfortunately, Carter was up bright and early the next morning at 7:30.
The next day, I unpacked our luggage and then decided to go for a run through the neighborhood. I asked Michon about some potential routes and she nonchalantly said her neighborhood had some hills so I should get a good workout. I mapped out a 3 mile route on my phone, put Carter in the jogging stroller, and hit the street. When I came to the first street I was supposed to turn on and noticed that the hill was so steep I couldn't see the bottom of it, I knew this run was going to be shorter than I had anticipated. I also decided to skip that street and revise my route. Unfortunately, I quickly ran into a dead end and had to turn around and brave the hill. Just to give you an idea of how steep this hill was, there is an emergency brake strap on my stroller that you are supposed to wear around your wrist in case the stroller gets away from you. I have NEVER worn that strap around my wrist until this run. So I'm jogging very slowly down this hill and as soon as I round the corner I notice there is an equally steep hill going up. "I can make it," I'm thinking in my head. "Let's do this!" When I get to the top of the hill (or what I thought was the top of the hill) I don't go more than a half of a block before the street starts to ascend again. Now mind you, I couldn't see this second uphill because it was around a curve. As soon as I saw it, I knew the stop sign at the top of the hill would be my turn around point. On my way up, a police offer passed me in a squad car and waved. And then I saw him again on my return route. I know he was following me just to make sure I didn't pass out. Oh...did I mention it was 80 degrees and sunny outside.
We eventually made it back to Michon's house after running just over 2 miles in 23 minutes (I would normally finish 2 miles in more like 16-17 minutes) and I was drenched in sweat and felt like I had run 4-5 miles. I cursed out Michon later that day for not giving me a full description of "the hills" in her neighborhood. It was a great workout but I don't know if I'll be doing it again while I'm here. Definitely not with a stroller.
Today, we ventured out to the Atlanta Zoo. Michon has 3 kids, two boys who are 4 and 3 years old and a girl who will be 1 year old next week. Add Carter to the bunch at 2 years old and we had the age spectrum covered. We had two strollers (one a double stroller), two backpacks filled with packed lunches and diapers, and 4 kids excited to see some animals. We had a great time. We saw giraffe, zebras, a rhinoceros, flamingos, monkeys, a tiger, a bear, kangaroos, gorillas, and a panda. Carter did pretty well but I decided early on not to let him walk on his own. He was going every which way except in the direction we were going. Instead, I let him ride in the stroller until we got to each destination and then let him get out and look at the animals. He knew the giraffe, birds, and monkeys by name which was pretty cool to hear. After we took a break to eat our packed lunch, we headed over to the train for the kids to have one last treat before heading home. However, by the time we got there, Carter was knocked out in his stroller and I knew better than to wake him. He didn't wake up until we were almost back at the house.
We had a great day. Managing 4 kids proved to be sometimes challenging but we made it through unscathed. Tomorrow morning is swimming. That should be fun!
Here are some pics from today.
The next day, I unpacked our luggage and then decided to go for a run through the neighborhood. I asked Michon about some potential routes and she nonchalantly said her neighborhood had some hills so I should get a good workout. I mapped out a 3 mile route on my phone, put Carter in the jogging stroller, and hit the street. When I came to the first street I was supposed to turn on and noticed that the hill was so steep I couldn't see the bottom of it, I knew this run was going to be shorter than I had anticipated. I also decided to skip that street and revise my route. Unfortunately, I quickly ran into a dead end and had to turn around and brave the hill. Just to give you an idea of how steep this hill was, there is an emergency brake strap on my stroller that you are supposed to wear around your wrist in case the stroller gets away from you. I have NEVER worn that strap around my wrist until this run. So I'm jogging very slowly down this hill and as soon as I round the corner I notice there is an equally steep hill going up. "I can make it," I'm thinking in my head. "Let's do this!" When I get to the top of the hill (or what I thought was the top of the hill) I don't go more than a half of a block before the street starts to ascend again. Now mind you, I couldn't see this second uphill because it was around a curve. As soon as I saw it, I knew the stop sign at the top of the hill would be my turn around point. On my way up, a police offer passed me in a squad car and waved. And then I saw him again on my return route. I know he was following me just to make sure I didn't pass out. Oh...did I mention it was 80 degrees and sunny outside.
We eventually made it back to Michon's house after running just over 2 miles in 23 minutes (I would normally finish 2 miles in more like 16-17 minutes) and I was drenched in sweat and felt like I had run 4-5 miles. I cursed out Michon later that day for not giving me a full description of "the hills" in her neighborhood. It was a great workout but I don't know if I'll be doing it again while I'm here. Definitely not with a stroller.
Today, we ventured out to the Atlanta Zoo. Michon has 3 kids, two boys who are 4 and 3 years old and a girl who will be 1 year old next week. Add Carter to the bunch at 2 years old and we had the age spectrum covered. We had two strollers (one a double stroller), two backpacks filled with packed lunches and diapers, and 4 kids excited to see some animals. We had a great time. We saw giraffe, zebras, a rhinoceros, flamingos, monkeys, a tiger, a bear, kangaroos, gorillas, and a panda. Carter did pretty well but I decided early on not to let him walk on his own. He was going every which way except in the direction we were going. Instead, I let him ride in the stroller until we got to each destination and then let him get out and look at the animals. He knew the giraffe, birds, and monkeys by name which was pretty cool to hear. After we took a break to eat our packed lunch, we headed over to the train for the kids to have one last treat before heading home. However, by the time we got there, Carter was knocked out in his stroller and I knew better than to wake him. He didn't wake up until we were almost back at the house.
We had a great day. Managing 4 kids proved to be sometimes challenging but we made it through unscathed. Tomorrow morning is swimming. That should be fun!
Here are some pics from today.
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