Just Golf

We had so many pictures from Kiawah (remember that I had five hours in a golf cart), so I'm making a separate post that is just golf pictures. I'll narrate when necessary, but usually the caption would be "this is another golf hole" or "this is another picture of David playing golf."

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I thought this tree was cool. Remember, lots of time to look at scenery



David looked at this picture and said, "Nice form." I looked at it and said, "Nice photography."




Yep, that is an alligator. We saw three on the bank close to the greens. I was the only one who thought they were a little too close, which means I'm the only one in our foursome who had any sense.



I decided to get a shot of myself to remember what I was doing all day.

Scott the caddy was so nice to put up with David taking a picture of just about every hole and even volunteering to take a picture of the two of us a couple of times

Kelly, the other wife, suggested that we take a picture of the guys looking for their lost balls. Although this did not happen often, it did happen occassionally. The guys would say "get this picture" when they had a nice shot, but they never asked for a picture of this for some reason.

Vacation for two: Charleston

David and I planned a vacation sans kids for the first time in, well, a long time. We went to New Orleans for a Saints game almost three years ago, so it has been a while. The problem is we have three kids and both sets of grandparents max out at two. So, we divided the kids evenly (just kidding--didn't cut Benton in half) and sent L&B to Tupelo and Kate to Germantown, then we headed to Charleston. Or so we thought. Delta Airlines had other plans. I have had three days to cool down from our experience with them Wednesday, so the short and sweet version goes like this:
10:00 arrive at airport for 11:40 flight

11:30ish still not boarding plane, no explanation, although David heard someone say "maintenance"
11:40 let us know that they are having some maintenance work on the plane and we will not be able to take off for a couple of hours; anyone whose connection is affected (that would be us) needs to talk to an agent
11:41 David bolts to the Delta desk; second in line to talk to Twilla, the agent
12:20 Twilla finishes dealing with the first person in line
12:30 Twilla informs us the only option we have is to take a 2:00 flight to Charlotte then connect to Charleston on a US Air flight; Twilla sends us to gate across the airport and obviously clocks out quickly because she has a feeling we will come back to hunt her down soon
2:00 flight leaves for Charlotte with our luggage but without us because Twilla neglected to check to see if there were two seats available.
2:01 Michael, Delta "red coat" (red coat means supervisor, but just like in the Revolutionary War, the redcoats are hated and incompetent), gets us two first class seats on our original plane
4:00 we get back to original gate, where the plane is still parked with the engine on the ground. Plane is clearly not leaving Memphis airport anytime soon. We are sure Michael has joined Twilla on a smoke break at this point and they are both laughing at our naivety.
4:10 first competent person we have dealt with all day books us on 7:00 flight out of Memphis and gives us our third $6 voucher for a meal at the airport. How generous those Delta agents are!
12:00 midnight we finally land in Charleston. Our bags had a better fate and had been there for hours.

Thursday we had planned a day of sightseeing. We had a tour on a horse-drawn carriage that was quaint and historic as we learned interesting heritage of Charleston. We walked through the Market, which is unlike any shopping experience I have had. Then we ate lunch at SNOB, a unique and delicious restaurant. Full and happy, we headed down to the Battery, walked around the park, walked by Rainbow Row, and walked up Museum Mile. The temperature was at least 100 with 100% humidity, so at this point I needed a nap. After resting up, we went to dinner at Peninsula Grill, which we had been told by every website available was the best restaurant in the area. Sadly, we didn't think it lived up to its hype. However, what did live up to the hype was Kamisky's, which had the most amazing desserts. I am a little embarrassed to admit what we did after dinner. Because it makes us sound a wee bit pathetic. Ok, here goes. We went to see a movie. Bridesmaids, to be exact. David and I never get a babysitter to just go to a movie, so we decided to go since we were kidless. In fact, the last movie we saw in a theater together was The Hangover, on our vacation in Hawaii. Pathetic, I know.

Friday we went to Mt. Pleasant to Boone Plantation. We had not planned to do any of the plantation tours because it's not really our thing, but we kept reading about it and decided when in Rome we must do as the Romans do. Boone Plantation was gorgeous, but we actually skipped the house tour and walked around the grounds instead because we learned the house was built in the 1930s, and that is well past plantation era and made us feel a little jipped. After the plantation we drove to Johns Island and went to the Firefly distillery. This is where they make Firefly vodka. We did a vodka tasting, and much to David's relief we did not have to drink six shots at the tasting (he was very worried about the tasting affecting his golf game). On site there was also a winery, so we visited it too. Our next stop was Kiawah, where David had scheduled a round of golf at the Ocean Course. For the first time in our nine years of marriage, I planned to ride in the cart as he golfed. I brought a school book, a fun book, my camera, and my iPad, because I thought I would have five hours of boredom. However, I was pretty entertained just watching golf. And counting alligators (we saw three). We ended up meeting a fun couple on the course in our same situation (wife riding, husband golfing) and had a good day of golf.

We came home Saturday and luckily did not have to deal with disfunctional Delta. David was afraid of the scene I would cause if any red coat told me I would be delayed on my way to see my kids. Because despite the nice relaxing trip we had, we were so ready to see all three of our kiddos. We did check in with them constantly, and it was obvious we would have to do some grandparent detox when we got home (a stranger in the airport called it "the grandparent hangover" when kids come home from grandparents' houses). Kate is too young to tell us her preference, but Benton and Lindsey let us know they would like to stay in Tupelo. We are so grateful for our parents keeping our children, and we hope they will be up for it again...in another nine years!

There were lots of old beautiful churches in Charelston. Its nickname is the Holy City, but I think plenty of small towns in Mississippi have more churches. But they aren't this pretty.

 

Oaks line the path up to Boone Plantation. This tree-lined entry has been used in movies, most notably The Patriot and The Notebook. The original owner's son planted these in the 1700s. I told David it's a shame he never got to see how beautiful they turned out.

We took this picture for Benton, who has a book about an old red tractor named Otis who is replaced by a big green tractor.

This was a slave street at Boone Plantation. These slave houses were in front of the house instead of the typical placement behind it, presumedly to show off the owner's wealth or skills in building. The houses were made of brick and had details and designs not common for slave houses

This was a good restaurant, SNOB. Broad street divides the city, so people either live slightly north of broad (SNOB) or south of broad (SOB). Our tour guide joked it's the only place people like to be called snobs and SOBs.

Battery Park had lots of statues, cannon balls, and cannons. It was a gorgeous park. We decided it is second to the Grove as the prettiest park we have seen.

The houses were beautiful. Charleston has a law that anything older than 75 years can not be torn down. It can be repaired but not replaced. This house is actually wider than most; they mostly are in the one-room wide style that was popular hundreds of years ago

Notice the carriage step on the sidewalk. These were originally built so the ladies would have a step to stand on as they got out of their carriages. Since they are more than 75 years old, they can not be removed.

Tooth Fairy meets the Ruffs

We are desperately trying to make sure Kate does not develop an affinity for her bobby the way Lindsey and Benton did, so we have placed several loveys in her crib instead of just one. However, the past few nights I have found her clutching this one--my BunBun when I was a little girl that I was attached to like Lindsey is her bobby.

You wouldn't know Benton went through a traumatic experience 24 hours ago if he did not have a huge gap in the front of his mouth--he has been normal happy Benton since last night. I tried to get him to sleep with me (for my sanity) but he insisted on sleeping alone in his bed, and this morning as I ran to the stairs to try to hold his hand before he went up he looked at me and said, "I'm not going to fall."

..He was excited about the change the tooth fairy left him. I couldn't get a good picture of his mouth, but today it is pretty swollen and icky. Not bothering him though!

Little messes, Big blessings

It's remarkable how your whole life can change in an instant. This has been a quasi-low-key week, and today our only plan was to go swimming at Nani's house. But first Kate had to nap and I had to work on some questions for grad school, so the kids were upstairs watching tv. And then life changed in an instant. I heard Benton starting to come down the stairs, then I heard a scream and Benton falling down the stairs. I found him toward the bottom, on his stomach, screaming, and his face was covered in blood. Medical emergencies are not my specialty, and although people always say the maternal instinct will kick in at times like these, I saw a bloody face on my screaming child and started screaming myself. I picked him up and held him tight as I called the neighbor, who rushed over and took charge and was able to calm Benton and me down. We were able to tell the blood was coming from Benton's mouth, and his teeth were out of place. I called the dentist to tell them we were coming in, called Nani to tell her I needed help, and called Lynn to say I was dropping Kate off quickly. I sometimes feel like "that mom" who always has drama. Which is ridiculous to even think, because looking back over my five years of being a mom I have had very little drama (which is a big blessing).
Benton was such a tough guy in the car; he obviously had forgotten about the pain and teeth hanging oddly and was being his normal, laid-back self. He continued to stay calm at the dentist as we waited a while to see the dentist. Once we saw Dr. Chris (my hero), he told us that he had to pull both of the top front teeth, there was no way to save them. I trust and respect Dr. Rowland and know he would do all he could. Fortunately I had Nani with me, and both kids were behaving perfectly as we waited. When it was time for the extractions, Nani said she would go back with him. I honestly don't think I could have done it and am so grateful she did. When Benton was seven weeks old he had a spinal tap (for what turned out to be a simple virus, another big blessing), and I sat in the hall sobbing as my son was in the room sobbing. Today I could not sit in the hall and sob, even though that's all I wanted to do, because Lindsey was there and I had to act calm for her. Benton was tough but he was in pain, and he screamed for me and sobbed and my heart broke. Dr. Chris had to go in and dig for roots because of the way the teeth came out. He told me he can't imagine how Benton hit the stairs hard enough to cause that much damage to his teeth without causing severe damage anywhere else (big blessing). We promised Benton a trip to Target (and basically anything else in the world he wanted at that moment, because he was pitiful), so we took him shopping, got a Transformer and new Car toy, then went to Chick Fil A where he wanted chicken nuggets but had to settle for a milkshake (tough break). At that point Lindsey wanted to swim and we owed it to her because she had been so patient all morning. I was shocked though that Benton was up for swimming too. It's past bedtime now and I'm shocked and thankful that Benton has acted like his normal sweet self all day.
So Benton is missing his two top teeth. It looks pitiful. But we are counting our blessings that start with our three precious children sleeping soundly in their beds tonight.

Atlanta Adventure: American Girl style

I wanted to take Lindsey to the AG doll store in Atlanta last fall as a special mother-daughter trip before baby sister arrived, but teaching/grad school/weddings/baby sister got in the way. So, we decided we would go this summer instead for our mother-daughter trip before Lindsey starts kindergarten. I asked my mom to join us for a true mother-daughter experience (and to help me handle an overly-eager five year old) and was so thankful to have her there. I did not have an AG doll when I was a girl (I did not feel deprived; I was a Barbie girl myself) but Lindsey has a Bitty Baby (Bitsy) and a historical doll (Kit) and loves to play with them. She was psyched about the trip. The day before we left she told me we would probably see Santa Claus there since she knew he shopped there.

We went to Tupelo Thursday night once David got home to get a one-hour head start on our trip. I woke up Friday for the first time in six months without hearing my baby girl in her monitor, but I know she was in good hands at home. Mom, Lindsey, and I headed to Atlanta, and somehow we made it there without getting lost which deserves a round of applause considering the direction genes we carry.

We checked into our hotel and there waiting for us was a pink AG bed with pillow and cover, a red AG t-shirt for Kit, and a treat bag from the store full of candy. We could have turned around to drive home at that point because Lindsey was thrilled beyond words, but the fun was just beginning.

We took the hotel shuttle over to the AG store (not wanting to press our luck with the not getting lost thing) and Lindsey walked in to the magical world of AG pushing her double stroller (Fisher Price brand, because that's the way we roll).

Kit made an appointment at the hair salon. After much deliberation, Lindsey decided she wanted Kit's hair fixed exactly like it always had been. But she added a pink and purple bow to go with the 1930s era outfit. We opted not to get Kit's ears pierced as well since the look doesn't really shout "Depression era".

After circling the store a dozen times, Lindsey decided on a red shirt for her to match Kit's, a pair of jeans for Kit to wear her shirt with, a backpack full of school supplies for Kit, matching pajamas for Lindsey and Bitsy, and a blue romper with tennis shoes for Kit. We left the store loaded down with the signature red bag and headed upstairs to the carousel. 


 B graciously offered to watch Kit and Bitsy so Lins and I could take a spin on the merry-go-round.



By this point, we were ready for supper. Luckily we had made reservations at the AG Bistro. This was perhaps the cutest place in the world. Each AG doll got a little booster seat for our table along with a tea cup and saucer. We ate while enjoying the atmosphere.

At this point, it was after 6:00, which could only mean one thing: time to head back to the hotel and get in our pajamas. We were pooped. Yet somehow Lindsey stayed up to around midnight. At one point we bought a movie off the TV (something we could not have done if either Popsey or dad had been there) to bribe her to lie down and be still.

Saturday morning we got up, got dressed (Lindsey and Kit matching, of course), and hit the road back home--with a stop at the outlet mall in Leeds, Alabama. We did not stay long because Lindsey apparently loves to shop and convinced us she HAD to have a dress at Gap and a new pair of brown sunglasses just like mommy's and a pair of pajamas to match Kate for the fall...at this point, we loaded back in the minivan and hit the highway to Tupelo.

We had a quick trip but it was full of precious memories. Looking forward to going back in about five years with Kate.

The lone summer holiday

We had a great fourth of July holiday! We kicked off the weekend by going to Oxford Saturday to eat at Ferdinand's. Kate is getting wiggly and likes to grab any food within her reach, so it's a bit hard to eat out with her these days. Luckily we know the owners and had them entertain Kate while we ate. No trip to Oxford is complete without frozen yogurt, so we walked over to Ya Ya's for dessert.

Lindsey always experiments with new flavors and toppings. Benton always gets chocolate with chocolate chips. And he always leaves a chocolate path all over his clothes, hands, and basically anything near him.

The only picture I got of Kate all weekend. How sad is that? If she's asleep, I have the camera. If she's awake, I'm holding her. Notice she is snuggling with Benton's bobby.

While we were at Ya Ya's, Kate fell asleep in her stroller. Everyone knows you don't wake a sleeping baby, so David offered to stroll her to The Mustard Seed while I drove the other two kids. It seemed like a great plan, except that it was close to 100 degrees and Kate woke up as soon as I pulled away in the van. So David carried a fussy Kate while pushing the stroller in the ridiculous heat. But we got two cute planters to put ferns in at The Mustard Seed, so it was all worth it.

Before we headed out of town, we met the Kilgores at the park in Oxford. Anna Beth and Lindsey are the same age and Reed and Benton are a year apart, so they always enjoy playing. Sadly, we were not really able to catch up with Joey and Beth since we were literally chasing children around the playground. As we were leaving, Benton's nose started bleeding. It was totally random; he has never had a nosebleed.

Sunday morning we watched Wimbledon. David comes from a family of tennis players, and I can not play at all but love watching the sport, so this is one of the few sporting events we both look forward to each year. I even made French toast for the occassion. I could not think of a British breakfast item so I at least stuck with the right continent.

Later that afternoon the Halls came over to cook out. Somehow it always seems like Benton is surrounded by girls, but he truly enjoyed playing with dolls and dressing up with the three girls. In fact, at one point David stopped him and said, "Son, what is on your face?" And in the most matter-of-fact tone Benton replied, "Make up." Because why would he not have on make up if he was playing with three girls? Benton adores Mr. Matt but also took a liking to the littlest Hall, and at one point we noticed Benton was feeding Mimi food off his plate. Of course, it was not a romantic gesture but more of a way to get out of eating his own grapes. After the Halls left we realized Madilyn left her bloomers here while playing dress up, so I told David to text Matt to let him know. David started to text but then said, "You know, this is kind of creepy to text Matt about his daughter's panties."

So that brings us to the fourth finally. We met the Rivers at the Ruffs for swimming that morning. Reed and Lindsey kept their dads busy in the pool, and once again cool Uncle Jon was there to entertain. Benton would not get off the shallow shelf and kept his ring on at all times, but he quickly jumped out to take part in the fireworks (also known as poppers, because that is all this mom will let the kids do). We went to the Ruffs' pool four years ago when the kids were just over one, and we remarked how bittersweet it is that those precious little babies are now jumping off the deep end.






We came home and headed to our last event of the weekend, a neighborhood cookout. I knew we would not be able to stay long since Kate goes to sleep so early, but around 7:00 as she got sleepy I put her in the crib (thanks to the Halls for letting her sleep in Mimi's crib) and we were able to stay for two more hours. The kids had a blast with the neighbors and kept talking about the fireworks. Benton ran up to me, pointed to a candle, and said, "Mommy, it's a firework!" No, son, it's a candle. Benton just nodded that cute little head and said "Oh." But minutes later he ran to a flood light in the yard, pointed to it and said, "Look! It's a firework!" This time Mr. Matt explained that no, it was a light, but there would be fireworks later and he was proud of Benton for being so excited. We will cherish these innocent statements because too soon he will be jumping off the deep end as well.