Christmas with the Kids

We went and spent Christmas Eve Morning with the kids since Santa visited them early so they could go to Knoxville and see Michael's sister and her family. Grandma Patty sent more than enough presents, so we helped them figure out which presents went to which child (though Julian opened both of theirs from us and wondered why he got a pink fish!) and Jeremy played the good uncle and took all the packaging off from grandma's presents.

And we're off!

Regan got Violet a little kid laptop! 

"Open it! I play with it now!"

Auntie Margaret put tons of tape on, so I had to help V open them

Michael helps V open a particularly sticky package

Julian making a fish face and Violet liking the sparkles

She was very amused by the nose on the elephant ornament!

We finally got her to rip some of the wrapping paper!

It was a fun morning, and the kids got some really neat stuff. Julian got an Angler fish and when he pretended like it was going to bite Violet SHE bit the FISH! That girl is fearless! She got some more stuff for her play kitchen, and a little dollhouse that goes with a book series, several books, and of course ornaments from me and Jeremy. It will be interesting to see what gets donated and what they end up keeping! (every year, Grandma Patty gets them way too much stuff for their tiny house, so Michael will put some of it up in the attic for when they grow out of their current toys, and some of them go to the thrift stores for other kids to enjoy!) Who knows, maybe next year they'll have a little Clark baby to help open their presents!

Lake Lanier Week

Lake Lanier is clearly not a place to take a camera-- but it was a great day with a great result...

SLEEPING CHILDREN!!

High Museum of Art

In an ill-fated attempt to culture the kids, we took them to the High Museum of Art here in Atlanta-- they weren't too bad, but MAN they can't see two feet in front of them to save their lives! Here are a few shots; I had to take them with my phone since my camera was dead and I'd forgotten to replace the SD card in the camp camera... but they're not too shabby!

The atrium-- one of my favorite views of the museum!

Group one waiting for their docent

Group two learning about the High

Learning about math and art

The Monroe Warhols!

One of my favorite statues-- I love marble!

A horse made of scrap metal-- the kids were FASCINATED!

This docent was fantastic-- he was explaining that this delicate statue was carved out of a huge hunk of marble

Another beautiful statue-- they have an amazing collection!

The girls loved the quilts hanging on the wall, which made me very happy-- my great grandmother was an amazing quilter and it's wonderful that they're learning that it's functional art!

Full Day Camp!

Jeremy used the camp camera to document the paper airplane fun during full day camp a few weeks ago-- check it out!

Family!!

I know I've fallen behind on my Memphis updates and I have TONS of pictures to post, but this is the most important one right now-- Valerie received word today that the MOWA letter finally reached court today which means Jeremy and I have a new niece and nephew!

Welcome to the family China and Mitike!

Spring Break!

I don't know if we'll do Spring Break camp or not next year, we'll have to see what the numbers look like at the end of the month, but this year made it tempting to keep it around! I did a Classics-type theme which included Olympics, a Pyramid Building Contest, a trip to the Mythical Creatures exhibit at Fernbank, Ancient Gods craft projects, and then the kids watched Hercules or Percy Jackson on Friday. So much fun!!

Roman in his home made Hoplite armor

Kornel presents Duncan, champion of Athens, with his shield

On your marks...

Lennox picks up big brother's discarded weaponry-- for Sparta!

Jimmy marks the oranges for shotput

Louis helps the kids with the pyramid building contest

Remember the TIV? We got a surprise when we got to Fernbank-- the DOW (Doppler on Wheels) was visiting! I got to meet Josh, too!

Thomas mimics the troll-- pretty scary!

K group numero uno outside the entrance

Ravioli Time!

We wanted to have dinner with John and Paige, so we decided on a house dinner on the front porch-- probably the best thing about getting along so well with our neighbors! Jeremy invited Nandan and Anu over and we had a make your own ravioli party!

Paige gets excited about her first ravioli!

Jeremy's up next!

Curried potatoes, butternut squash, spinach, bacon, gruyere cheese, ricotta cheese, and walnuts were on our ingredients buffet-- YUM!

Nandan and Anu sample the options

John takes a gander

Paige and I toast to a lovely evening-- that's the kurta Nandan brought me back from his last trip to India. Ignore the random lady in the background...

Violet was obsessed with Jeremy's marathon medal

AND my high heels! We had to distract her just to get her to leave them here!

Birthday Girl

Me and Vivi-- too bad I don't have anything to fix the red eye on this computer!

Violet blushing over her new outfit

Vivi on her big girl bike!

A better look at the adorable outfit Jeremy and I got her for her birthday!

This year's cake (without a small chunk thanks to Jeremy...)

Julian goofing around with the leftovers-- Juice Box Hero!

Just an update

I'll be taking pictures of the garden later, but Jeremy's out on the porch working on the bench (which seems to be giving him fits...) at the moment.

I'm updating this from my new Eee PC, and it's pretty exciting! I got it at Best Buy on sale for $250 because it has Windows XP. If it gets me $100 off and it's not Windows ME, I don't care what OS it's running!

I started working on my resume, which looks better every day, and have been able to get a lot of other stuff done just by using my old laptop as an entertainment center and using the Eee to do work and pay bills, etc. I'm pretty excited!

We've been pretty busy lately, after school is wrapped up for the most part and we're moving in to summer, but things aren't looking fantastic for enrollment... I need at least 15 more children per week to make things worth it, but people just aren't signing up! And a lot of the people who are signing up are splitting the summer up between several camps, which is frustrating to say the least-- who the heck wants to deal with five different camps over the summer?! Blargh.

On a happier note, we have been able to spend more time with the kids lately-- those two are our favorite little people around! I took them last weekend for a birthday party and had a blast in spite of their craziness; Julian's got to give up this oral fixation or we're going to have to duct tape his mouth shut! Beads up his nose, coins down his throat, everything in his mouth it's just ridiculous. I've started sending him to his room when he puts stuff in his mouth, but I'm sure half the time he just puts the stuff in his room in there, too. I've seen kids with oral fixations before, but Julian makes it a sport! (one that I will win) Violet's a full on walker now, and she's pleased as punch with the setup. Target has these foam weapons that are only a few bucks each and, having a PK son, Michael's got a whole arsenal (for under $10) that Violet's taken to hoarding and then berserking on everyone. She'll pick up an ax and a sword and just run at you-- or, if she wants you on her side, she'll pick up an armful and start piecemealing them out so that everyone has the weapon she wants them to have. And then she'll attack Julian. He's going to have to toughen up or move out of the way!

Anyway, it's been fun spending time with them, and so nice to see how much they love us. It's important for kids to have a community of adults they can rely on and learn from, and it's an honor to be a part of Julian and Violet's lives!

That's all for now, I'm going to go watch the season finale of Bones (yay for the internet!) and drool over the Nori Nori menu a little more... ciao for now!

Re-mem-mem, re-mem-remember, AOII, sisters together

Laughing, singing, doing whatever, we have fun when we're together!

Thursday started rush for us and it was SO much fun! The girls did a really great job, we had fantastic return numbers, and the room looked fantastic-- I'm even borrowing some of the stuff for the wedding! They had cute little red paper lanterns and mini chandeliers that were too pretty. I didn't go last night, but I did go today for Philanthropy and I was really proud of our girls. We apparently always have trouble competing with Breast Cancer Awareness (ZTA's philanthropy, I think), but I feel like they really pulled off a touching and pointed argument for ours-- Arthritis Research! Preference Party is tomorrow, and I'm soooo excited-- I can't wait to see how they do it here! I was also pleasantly surprised to hear one of my favorite AOII songs for the exit number, it's the one in the title line :)

This week was long at work for some reason-- probably because it started with the tan van supposed to have been ready for the afternoon run and then it wasn't so we ran all over the place and had to switch vans around and were late for some schools and Sally had to use her car to go pick up from Avondale and ICS... it was a total mess. Argh! And it's like the kids know when you're having a bad day; they decide to do everything they know they're not supposed to do! Then, Friday, right as I finalized the deposit, one parent walked in with a check for payment! Blargh.

We also got a chance to go to the children's consignment sale and pick up some stuff for Valerie and the now two boys that they're adopting from Africa in a couple of months. We got two car seats for $25, and tons of clothes and toys, enough to last them a month or so in cold weather in Indiana and a couple of things that will work under coats and that they'll hopefully fit well enough to take back to Singapore with them as well as some nice clothes for church and whatnot.

Hope everyone's weekends have gone well, and I'll post more when I know more :)

Yeah, yeah

So it's been a few days. I know you're all dying to hear more of my ticking-clock baby lovin' or rambling about my wedding, but just in case...

Watching the kids for Meg and Michael was really great, I love those kids so much-- and Julian, what an absolute HOOT! I think I taught him how to say "touche" which should be amusing. Three year olds, not so much with the actually grasping French parlance. As much of a nutter as he is, he does love his baby sister-- "My baby!" --and apparently spent part of the afternoon trying to convince Meg that HE was the one who carried Violet for 9 months! Every minute over at the Kavanaugh household is an episode of "Kids say the darndest things", I think. Also, it was nice to see Meg and Michael. I kept Meg up late (again) talking about the wedding stuff, and family stuff, and shared my invitations with her (which she seconded and approved), and poking at the baby who ate a little and then totally conked out. We both agree that babies are hilarious.

Sunday was low-key, but I got to catch the MotoGP race from Motegi which was nice. Even though that weekend in Indy was traumatic, I really enjoyed the race, and spending time with Jeremy, Josh, and Sarah! Sadly, Nicky Hayden got put out in the first lap by Takahashi, but Pedrosa didn't end up in first so I'll take what I can get.

Monday was loads of fun, it was our last AAC meeting of the year at CPK. I got there early to sit out in the commons at Atlantic Station and work some more on the Treasury office (I'm the financial adviser now for Gamma Sigma, and it looks like I'm going to do a really good job-- I'm so excited!) overhaul, and sat and talked to Vicki for a while outside while we waited for Lizzy and Becky. Dinner was OK, the best part was the appetizer. I know a lot of restaurants "known" for something don't usually have other good food, but CPK usually does! I got a panini that wasn't really anything special (though at least the Caesar salad was good), I don't remember what Vicki got, Becky got the Thai linguine which was good, but not stellar, and Lizzy got the pesto penne which wasn't really anything special, either! We also split desserts, which *were* pretty good and we certainly didn't mind spending the money since they had a deal that 20% of our check went to the Arthritis Foundation!

Anyway, I'm starting to get a little more excited about next year. It looks like Jeremy and I will be in Atlanta (since I can stay at Palate if I can't find a job anywhere else), which is really nice. I know I mentioned getting back in touch with all my old friends and their families, but I'm also really attached to these girls at GSU! Don't get me wrong, I would be ALL OVER being on AAC for Kappa Omicron, and I know it would make Rachel and Rebecca so happy, but I feel like not only do they need really good, solid, consistent leadership and alumnae support, but that I really am a part of the chapter now. Maybe that sounds silly to other people, but they really are like my sisters-- I love them, even though I want to shake them sometimes, and I can't wait to see what wonderful things they do with their lives and this chapter!

Tonight at work was SLAMMED. Thankfully, Matthew and Derek helped out in the dishroom, I don't know how we would have made it through otherwise! As a result, I'm able to keep my commitment for the collections payment this month for sure, and I can buy a bathing suit to take down to Florida with me! Huzzah!

Oh, and Jeremy and I are going to (most likely) split my gas to go down to Florida this weekend. I'm really excited, I miss him so much I almost can't stand it sometimes!

Off to bed with this tired girl! Ciao for now, pals!

Adam and Erin

I wish I knew where my card reader was-- Adam and Erin got married last night and it was so wonderful, and so very them. They had the ceremony and reception at the Moulin Rouge room at Paris on Ponce (antiques store, for those of you not from 'round here). Erin looked absolutely beautiful, and Adam as strangely adorable as ever; they really are perfect for each other, and I can't imagine two people who will be happier together. The food, of course, was amazing and Adam's brother Drew did all the cheesecakes-- I think there was a total of six or seven cakes, the "wedding cake" had a little pumpkin bride and groom, and I munched on a Saffron Spice cheesecake with homemade raspberry sauce. Tres magnifique.

It was also really beautiful the way that everyone was included in the ceremony-- Adam and Erin feel like all their friends are family, and family is extremely important. People were invited up to tell stories and make their own toasts, and the ceremony was done in the middle of the room and led directly in to the celebration (aka, reception). I hope that Jeremy won't mind doing something like that, I'd really like it. Plus, there are a lot of logistical upsides to it. Short ceremony means kids (and I) won't get antsy, being there already means that the entire thing doesn't have to pick up and move the entire thing somewhere else (which cuts costs), and we can do pictures while everyone else gets settled in with food and whatnot before toasts.

Everyone keeps asking why I'm having children there, and I happen to think children are loads of fun at wedding receptions. Apparently friends of mine up north have never had a good experience with children at a wedding, and the way I put it to Shelby is that we always understood that it was a privilage to be at an adult function and we better behave or we would be in deep crap, possibly for the rest of our lives. Also, it would be entirely rude to even tangentially ban children from the ceremony and reception given the number of people I know with children (in both the literal and colloquial senses). Most of the weddings I've been to start early evening and go to late evening, giving those with children an opportunity to come celebrate, and leave when they're ready, and those who might have earlier obligations to celebrate as well.

I'm dying for some sushi, but it'll have to wait for lunch Monday-- that's when Sushi Avenue does their amazing specials, lunch during the week. I'm excited, also, to maybe try a new lunch every week...

On that note, I'll write up my restaurant review and go try to find something to amuse myself until it's an appropriate hour to sleep.