road trip, part one

Day 1: We departed Nashville shortly after breakfast in hopes of getting to Birmingham in time for lunch. We ended up picnicking in the car after Davis took a snooze. Might we make a trip without drama? Tantrums? Resorting to movies to attain peace and familial civility? Odds looked good, especially since the restless traveller is taking more and more cues from the good traveller. Peter received a cement truck from Reenie and Boopah - the very one he just asked me to ask Santa for next Christmas. He basically hasnt let go of it since. Certainly not at 3:30 am when he woke up to play with it and watch cars and trucks go by out of his window. After playing musical beds and failing to reason with him, I let him go. Afterall, I had to drive six hours the next day.

Day 2: Bright eyed and bushy tailed! We got a good early start so we didn't have to rush. So nice to be able to drive on through without having to stop at every newborn whim. Both boys took a nap late in the morning, grantng me radio control, though I confess that I finished the Berenstain bears audiobook first. :) After lunch with a dear friend and another snooze for Davis, we made our way into Lafayette at 4:30 with two happy, compliant boys. Whatever I did to deserve that, I ought to bottle it and sell it.

P, still holding the cement mixer after 8+ hours: Mommy, it's fun being away from Nashville!



Day 3: We spent the morning with cousins at Aunt Myra and Uncle Sonny's house. So glad that we finally got to meet 17-month-old Noah and introduce Davis to the Austin,TX branch of the family. The kids ran and played in the dirt, swung up a storm and "mowed the lawn." I ran errands during naptime and came home to find Nanny and Davis sacked out downstairs while Peter had finally given in to sleep. On the floor beside the bed.




After a trip to the bookstore for some dinosaur resources (behold another obsession emerging), we ate dinner and I fell asleep putting Peter to bed. Nevermind the list of to-dos before my girls' getaway...

Day 4: TGIF! Another round of fun with the cousins on my dad's side, complete with king cake for a morning snack. You see why I LOVED going there as a kid. I skipped town after a quick goodbye - my first whole weekend away from my boys. As in, the last time I left Peter for a weekend was pre-Davis. Three hours in the car with my music at my volume with the sunroof open because I didn't have to be concerned about the sun in someone else's eyes or the wind making too much noise. People, this is a luxury of epic proportions. I just hope I didn't blow out my mom's speakers.

Days 5-6: Speakers still work! I spent a fun, relaxing weekend in New Orleans with plenty of sunshine and some really hilarious friends. We were celebrating the upcoming wedding of a college girlfriend and Bourbon Street gave her quite a sendoff. Whoa.

While I was away, Peter and Davis had a big time with Nanny, Gran and Pop. Tractor rides, comfort food, and cows nearby. What more could they want?!? Oh yeah, and after several two-steps, Davis has begun taking 7-8 steps pretty consistently. I made it home justintime to see it - he was so delighted with himself!!
I can't post video from my phone but I will post footage once I get home.

Day 7: Peter and I went on a date - his choice. Well, he chose Chili's. All the great food in this town and my kid insists on a chain we can find at home. I later decided to treat him (okay - me too) to a snowball from my favorite little snowball stand. He wanted blue so I got him blue. I scarfed down my strawberry while Peter adamantly refused to even taste his. Hmph. This is as close as he got to it.



After an afternoon spent kite-flying, sandboxing, sliding, climbing, running, jumping and practicing how to walk, we ALL slept well.




Day 8: Children's Museum Day. Exhibits of bubbles + ambulance + train table + play market + play bank + play doctor/vet office + traffic light = preschool bliss. Leaving was not so blissful. Suffice it to say that the rest of the day was spent combatting a whiny, cranky, sassy, defiant preschooler while the one year old charmed everyone from the museum workers to neighborhood passersby. Cannot wait to download all my pictures from the big camera.




Stay tuned! Part Two will include giraffes, gambling, bison, trains, lions and a wedding.