A Tennessee Trip Part 1

We ventured out for a little 2 state mini vacation last week.  We headed south and stopped at Dinosaur World.  It's a lot like Jurassic Park, only with fake dinosaurs:)

I passed this fella each time I drove to see Trinity when we were dating.  

It turns out this T Rex resides with about 200 other dinosaurs and it only costs like $15 a person to get in!  90 degrees and a tour of dinosaur statues?  Sign us up.

They don't advertise the cost.  T Rex lures you in with those tiny arms that beckon weary travelers (we were 3 hours from home) and traps you in a crappy gift shop where you can't tell your kid no.  

We told ourselves it was a bargain.

I mean it was kind of like Disney and like $190 cheaper for each of us!

Win!

My face in a hole obsession was replaced by a face in an egg.  

G was worn out after the tour and a romp on the Dinosaur playground and she napped all the way to Nashville.

We hung out in the 12South area and enjoyed Las Paletas.  Their popsicles are another favorite for me and T.  

I hit up Draper James again, but did not find anything that I needed or wanted.

We journeyed south to Manchester, Trinity's old town of residence.  He was living there when we met and dated for 2 years long distance.  We are quite certain we were meant to be because 6 years of marriage later we were shocked about how long the drive was.  

I really think it was longer due to a whiney 3 year old.  

It was a breeze when I was a carefree 28 year old who drove a BMW but needed my parents to buy me a new furnace.

Oh, the memories.  

We hiked T's weekly trail.  

We stayed the night at the Sewanee Inn.  Sewanee, The University of the South, is such an idyllic little campus.  This was another place we visited when we were young.  

We all went to bed at 8:00 local time.  

Traveling with Genevieve is no joke.  

The next morning we decided to visit Ruby Falls as part of our tour de Chattanooga.  

My parents took me as a child, but I didn't remember much otherwise I would have kept my tail out of that damn cave.

After Mammoth Cave I claimed I would never darken the door (as if those ground pits could get any darker) of another cave.

I lied.

After this trek I swear I will NEVER GO IN ANOTHER CAVE.  

I managed not to have an anxiety attack as I squeezed through some tight passages on the heels of Lady G, who kept saying, "are we almost there?"  

We saw the Falls.

There were no rubies.  

G loved it!  The colors!  The sound!  It was marvelous.

Then we had to get out of it.

This is where/when my child suddenly rendered herself unable to walk.

She suffered from this malady about 5 minutes after we started back.

Now, please realize we were going single file through this hole in the Earth.  She simply dropped to her knees and screamed, "I can't waaaaaaallllllllllkkkkkkk!!!!"

Oh hell. 

Trinity tried to pick her up and get her to walk.  He looked like a demented marionette handler as he walked and she let her toes drag on the ground and screamed.

We passed other groups who openly cackled at us.  

We promised her ice cream if she walked.  She then walked sporadically while crying about wanting ice cream.

Hecklers yelled things like "Get that kid some ice cream!'

"Oh, poor little girl, she's so tired!  Yada, yada, yada.

This did not help the situation.

 It was a most miserable 20 minute walk of shame.  

When we reached the surface of humanity I grabbed T's shoulders and started pushing him and shouting "Chile!  Chile" like those poor Chilean miners who were saved after like 79 days underground.  

I sympathize with them more than ever after that hour of torture.

G didn't get her ice cream.

Part 2 to come!

Hold Me Closer, Tiny Dancer

We had our magical night of dance on May 31st.

I say "our" because the whole experience turned me into a dance mom.  A dance mom who cannot dance.

G's recital evening started with a delivery from Abby and Papi.  They could not attend the show since it was on a Tuesday night.  That scheduling was really my only complaint.  It was a pain for people to get there during the week.

I'm posting this picture because it captures the awesomeness of my little family.  We take some of the most awkward pictures.  My hair looks really good though.  

Hello to Betsy's bicep.

It's really not that big.

At least I hope not.  

I was an amateur and was clueless about hair and makeup.  Just kidding.  I knew if I claimed helplessness then people would do everything for me.   It's called learned helplessness.  Many children suffer from it, including several former students.  We work that kink out quickly.

In reality, I knew she had to be dolled up but I didn't know how to do any of it.  I just brought makeup, hairspray, and enough bobby pins to pin a lot of bobbies.  

My fellow dance moms got to work.

One mom made G's face more visible without making her look like a 3 year old tart.  

Another fellow mother totally Macgyvered her hair by having me cut a hole in a sock to help "define her hair with a bun."  My job was to hand her bobby pins.  She said I was pretty bad at that.  

I got distracted.  

The finished look-

She tapped her little heart out.

Actually, she stomped.

But boy she stomped well.  9 months of stomping lessons really paid off!  

Next we quick changed for ballet.  

The ballet portion of the recital had an Alice in Wonderland theme.  G and her classmate Cordelia sidled up to Dinah, the cat.  

That's cute.  

The show was lovely and G loved every second of it.  

YaYa and Bob came to shower her with flowers.  They just handed them to her after the show.  I was kind of hoping for more drama, like throwing flowers to her on the stage.  I mean, is there anything better than that scene in Ice Castles where they throw the flowers and she trips and everyone realizes that she was blind?

Cinematic genius!  

Trinity brought flowers too.

My hair was looking way less fabulous after my overexertion due to pinning bobbies.  

Robby and Meghan cheered her on too!

I totally signed her up for year 2.

Memorial Day 2016

We  travelled south to Las Fagis on Friday.  Summer has officially started.  I packed up my classroom on Friday morning and we departed for Lake Norris around 3 p.m.

That drive is quite unfun, but it is well worth it. The lake is beautiful and it is so relaxing.  We went straight to bed upon arrival.  T opted to sleep solo while I received swift kicks to the kidneys on the hour whilst sharing a bed with my child.

The weather was nice and we went down to the deck on Saturday morning.  

Charlotte carried the snack bag, which Genevieve stuck close to most of the morning.  

Tim took us out on the pontoon boat.  G was a bit dismayed that it didn't go faster.  

Trinity and Genevieve did some floating.  

Charlotte was most helpful with Li'l G.  They wore matching life vests.  

Genevieve and Liam puzzled.  They also hugged.

A lot.

Lots of hugging.  

On Sunday we took the fast boat out on the water.  

I went tubing.  I developed a bit of a phobia from an early age.  My friend Gina once took me boating.  Her father liked to see if he could dump us in the drink.

Bellyflopping at 25 mph as an 8 year old wasn't really my scene.

Tim was much more cautious with G on board.

He topped off at 15 mph after much encouragement from G to go faster.  

I did the stand up paddle board a couple of times.

It takes a lot of balance.

I'm not sure I'll be signing up for any SUP yoga classes.  

G was completely pooped after boating and floating.

I can't remember the last time she fell asleep on my lap.

We had a lovely time with Robeghan, Tim, Jamie, and their trio of precious kiddos.  

Reciting and Holiday World

On Saturday we had to get up early so I could do my best Truvy Jones impression and paint/style my toddler for her recital rehearsal.  

My ability to do my own hair and makeup is somewhat questionable.

I did my best.

G lined up to hit the stage with her fellow tip tappers!  

Her hair may require a professional.

This profile shot shows my shoddy work.  

This picture was taken seconds before the chorus line went down like a load of dominos.  

My kid escaped the fray.

Not because she is graceful but rather she was not hanging on anyone else.

That rebel.

Those tap shoes on tile are lethal.  

There were signs posted everywhere that said "Do not run in tap shoes.  You will fall."  

Correction:

"Don't move in tap shoes.  Let your mother bubble wrap your feet so you don't break your neck."

G is the youngest in her class.

The older girls are 5.

Check out that mascara!

After her tap number we had to presto-chango for her ballet dance.  I now know what backstage at Miss America must look like.

Minus the cleavage tape.

At this point I enlisted another mother to help with G's hair.  

We had a slight wardrobe malfunction as these two cuties tangled up their tutus.  

This photo below was taken right after G had a near breakdown on the stage.  You see, Genevieve claimed someone else was standing on her house.  She stands on a little pink house made of masking tape which is her mark on stage.  

She couldn't find her house so she assumed someone was standing on it.  

Uh, no, honey child.

You skipped right over your prime piece of real estate and you have no one to blame but yourself!  

After a private tutorial with her teacher, she admitted that she missed her house and stopped blaming Brynley.

I will keep my fingers crossed that she remembers where that damn house is when the curtain goes up.

I may make a mock pink house and play John Mellencamp so we can practice finding little pink houses for you and me. 

We left rehearsal and drove for an overnight with Sister Katie and Caroline.  Chip, Robby, Trinity, and Steve were camping on Saturday night so we had a slumber party with just girls.

Bestie Nicole came over with Madelyn and Li'l Caroline.  

YaYa was there.  

She's in the background.

You know you see that white hair and red sweater.  

I woke up early and snuggled with the world's largest dog.  Frankie makes me feel like one of the Starks with my very own dire wolf.  You know I love a good Game of Thrones reference.   I would be Sansa because I truly loathe Arya, or should I say "the girl?"  

Lame.   

On Sunday morning I cranked up Holiday Road and we rolled Griswold style to Holiday World.  

G loves a carousel.  

Katie took this cute picture of the cousins.  

All smiles.  

Zoom in.

Now that is a very enthusiastic photo bomber.

What in the world?  

Hysterical!  

I rode some kiddie drop ride that scared me.

I screamed from fear.

Seriously.

I cannot ride anything!

We finished the day with lots of selfies.  

Good times!