Published at: 11:08 am - Wednesday August 25 2010 by jenn
Yesterday was Aidan’s first day as a 1st grader. And, while the morning started off slightly chaotic (muddy fields, traffic jams directed by the guidance counselor and typical Hunter’s Green Elementary drama), our little boy handled the day like a superstar. Luke and I both gave him a send-off in class, and he waved good-bye with all smiles.
Pick-up was just as chaotic, but it seems everything at that school is. I waited almost an hour in the car line, with one of the smarter parents running out of gas behind me. They lost one of Aidan’s friends, so I guess I should be thankful Aidan was actually waiting for me when I did get up to the front. This school represents what the state of Florida deems an “A” rated institution, so I’m scared to know what other schools are like!
In response to how the first day of school went, Aidan advised that “it’s all worksheets and rules.” So, I’m guessing fun time is officially over and we’ll need to crack down with the studies. Our first homework packet included stuff Aidan has known for a few years, so I do hope things get a little more challenging. And, I’m hoping he doesn’t fall under the influence of his little clown friend that ended up in our class again this year. I guess all we can do is guide him to make good decisions and hope he does it. He’s a good kid, and that’s what counts at the end of the day.
Published at: 09:08 pm - Sunday August 15 2010 by jenn
After ditching the idea of taking the kids to New York, we decided to return to our little spot of serenity in the Smoky Mountains. Ten days smelling fresh mountain air was just what we needed to close out the summer. Some highlights of our adventures include:
Stone Mountain, GA – Per Aidan’s request, we usually stay at the Marriott Evergreen in the park… but , we were less than delighted by our stay this time around. Construction on the building woke us up the first morning… on the one day that Skye didn’t get up at the crack of dawn! The second time around, they put us in a room that had wet paint on the balcony, which also resulted in a terrible stench that I didn’t want the kids huffing. They did switch our room and all, but I think we’re just ready for something new next time. There are only so many times you can enjoy seeing a big pile of granite I suppose. Of course, we had to stick with tradition and stop by The Village Corner for the mouth watering German fare… they never fail to score big on satisfaction, especially after a seven hour drive with two kids in tow. The “are we there yet” jokes have turned out to be an aggravating reality… nothing that an iPad and DS doesn’t solve anyway.
Atlanta, GA – We have never actually taken the time to explore Atlanta and figured it would be kind of cool to see the GA Aquarium, which I’ve since learned is the largest in the world. It was a little costly and overly crowded, but it was definitely worth it. The manta ray was much larger than I would have thought and the whales swimming around were just majestic. World of Coke seemed cool, but I didn’t want to pay for entry into something that’s essentially them promoting their brand. And, Olympic Park was scorching hot so the fountains were missed in lieu of an icy cold mini-van. Next time, I think I’d like to stay downtown somewhere and check out some of the other stuff.
Timber Tops Cabin Rental - This is the third cabin we’ve rented, all from different companies. And, I’ll have to say that this one was the least impressive and just as costly. Don’t get me wrong… it was clean, the rental staff and office were fine, etc… but, it just wasn’t the quality we’ve gotten from the others. Aidan was Mr. King in that place though… we essentially gave him the loft during the day where he would retreat for uninterrupted LEGO building and Disney Channel watching. By night, Luke and I took over… coolers, Luke’s media hookup, shiny toys… yes, those few hours of quiet, kid-free time was rather enjoyable! Oh, I’d be amiss to forget the driveway. I about had a panic attack the first time up. It was so frightening that I made a video. I don’t think my van will ever be the same after this trip!
Great Smoky Mountains National Park- PBS and Ken Burns were right on… the national parks are in fact America’s best idea. Everything about that place makes me smile. And, no matter how many times we’ve been there, there’s never a shortage of new things to do and see. Of course, we always make time for picnics (Chimney Tops is the best spot because you’ve got the stream right there that you can wade around and it’s nestled in a perfectly shaded spot). And, we always do the Cades Cove Auto Tour. This time, we saw several bears, wild turkey and about a dozen deer. Something we hadn’t done before was Clingman’s Dome. The 7 mile road up was fun and watching Luke push a stroller up a mountain was priceless! The Sugarlands Nature Walk was much less physically demanding but also much less climactic.
The Apple Barn – After going through all of those little rectangular tourist info sheets, I really wanted to go to the Apple Barn Cider Mill & General Store. And, I must say that it was really cool… the food at the restaurant was amazing and the wine is so much better than you would think. I’ll just say that the apple butter was really something special and I’m sure I’ll be ordering more online soon! Aidan and Skye enjoyed the Candy Factory… actually, a lot of candy was consumed during this trip. I tried to resist getting fudge and failed. I also tried to resist getting taffy and failed. Whatever.
Gatlinburg, TN – What can you say about Gatlinburg… it is what is is… a tourist trap to rival all tourist traps. But, you find yourself walking the strip and enjoying yourself nonetheless. We always make time to run through it at least once.
As I’m sitting here at home on the last evening of vacation, I’m sad… Despite all of those hours in the car and the chaos that is our kids, I can’t think of anything I’d rather do than hang out with my crew. And, hanging out with them surrounded by such beauty and an absence of work related responsibilities just makes me jubilant. Until next time…
Published at: 10:07 am - Tuesday July 20 2010 by jenn
I admit it… I was totally freaking out over how summer was going to work out with Aidan being out of school. I’m not ashamed to say I imagined him driving me crazy all day and thought getting work done was going to be all but impossible.
But, I’ve been pleasantly surprised. As we hit the midway point of summer break, I’ve got to say things have been going very well. We’ve stayed busy and managed to do a lot of fun activities, including being able to sleep in. We’ve all enjoyed that!
Here’s a summary of what we’ve been up to so far…
Busch Gardens – With annual passes, you can’t go wrong. Before summer ends, I want to take the kids to breakfast with Elmo there. Skye just loves Elmo!
Camping – Luke took Aidan out to O’Leno and camped out in the excruciating heat. I don’t think Luke will be letting me forget that anytime soon, although they both admit it was a great time. Aidan played with fire and got burned… lesson learned.
MOSI camps – Aidan did two weeks at MOSI. They have 3 hour camps there that took him from exploring the science of candy making (eating) and then into the world of super secret mysteries. I was worried that he wouldn’t want to go because he didn’t know anyone there. But, he fit right in and had a blast. Of course, we explored Kids in Charge a few times as well. Skye thought that was pretty cool.
Bright Horizons – I can’t say enough about how much Bright Horizons improved their summer program this year. And, returning after our period of absence was just like coming home. The people there are awesome and Aidan has met so many new friends. He wakes up every morning and asks when it’s time to go to camp. He’s playing LEGOs, swimming, going on field trips (water parks, picnics, Lowry Park Zoo and more). Watch out Skye… you’ll be going there soon enough!
Ybor – Aidan loves Gameworks, so we were happy to discover they reopened. Luke and Aidan met up with family in from Poland one evening. The highlight was Aidan puking on the sidewalk after dinner. We try to keep it real!
Aquarium – Aidan has been to the FL Aquarium so many times, but he still enjoys it. Skye just can’t get enough of the fish. I’m hoping to go back sometime next week so they can play at Explore A Shore. Wow, it seems like just yesterday that we had Aidan’s 3rd birthday party there.
Boating – Next weekend, Aidan and Luke will be going out on Garry’s boat with Luke’s family. I think they’re heading out to Homosassa Springs.
Dinosaur World – Aidan’s 6th birthday party was awesome!
Hunter’s Green Discovery Club – Aidan spent a few days at a science themed camp and was able to see a few of his friends from school.
Bounce U – They have “open bounce” throughout the week. We met up with the Silversteins for a play date one afternoon. I’m thinking we’ll go back before summer is over.
Coming up in a couple of weeks will be our two week trip to the mountains. It’s become sort of a tradition now, and I think we’re all looking forward to hitting the road in the mini van and chillin’ in a mountaintop cabin up near Pigeon Forge. The pit stop at Stone Mountain is always fun too.
And, as for work, I’ve been able to fit everything in just fine. My classes at HCC were cancelled for the summer so I’m just doing a few things for Pro QC. My mom has been able to help me out with Skye one or two days each week so I have had some catch up time. All things considered, I think summer all year around sounds like a good idea (minus the heat and humidity).
Published at: 09:07 pm - Sunday July 11 2010 by jenn
Aidan was speechless today… speechless. Despite scorching heat and just enough of a sprinkle to bring on full humidity, his friends and family were waiting for him today at Dinosaur World to celebrate his 6th birthday. He had no idea.
Lessons learned from this experience:
(Most important) Aidan actually showed some level of appreciation. After the party, he sincerely thanked us and said it was “the best party he ever had.” That’s atypical behavior coming from “The Prince.” He was a very happy boy… after totally freaking out when he realized that it was a surprise.
No matter what I say to myself to think it’s going to be tolerable outside in July, I’m wrong. I recall very clearly now saying to myself that I would never have another party outside in summer after coming close to death on Aidan’s 1st birthday. I admit I may be on the ultra-sensitive side, but I really dislike feeling icky. An inside option is always going to be best.
It’s great to see friends you haven’t seen in a while.
Your kid’s happiness is actually priceless.
You have to be very careful with too much socializing and remember that you still have to supervise the kids. We lost Aidan twice today (or at least thought we did ,which counts).
The people who came up with the idea of a park with huge dinosaur replicas was pretty frickin’ smart. They are really banking at that place, even though your first thought would be that nobody goes there. However cheesy it seems, you can’t help but think it’s pretty cool once you’re there. However, with reference to the weather conditions in FL again, I would suggest a fall or winter trip.
Published at: 08:06 pm - Wednesday June 30 2010 by jenn
I cracked open The Big Honkin’ Activity Bookfor Aidan today as an effort to break up the rainy day inside. One of the activities includes a list of “why” questions that I enjoyed hearing the answers to…
Why is the sky blue? Because plants need to see.
Why do dogs chase cats? Because they want to eat their tails for breakfast.
Why is there no school on Saturdays? Because kids need a rest.
Why do snails move so slowly? Because they need to make sure there’s no danger.
Why does food that is good for us not taste nearly as good as food that is bad for us? Because it has sugar and better ingredients.
