Chattanooga back to Atlanta

July 6, 2013

Given the opportunity to be able to sleep in, with no kid interference, I should have gone to bed earlier...but no.  It was still worth it.  I got up, showered, had breakfast with Creed, spent too much time chatting, and barely got out the door for church on time.  Close enough.  Still raining.  In fact, after church, I made a snide comment about finally seeing the sun, and what a stranger it has been, and how I need to get back to CA to get reacquainted, and it started raining again...at least with the sun out this time.   Much discussion about eating out vs eating at home, and I finally said, back home.  

While we were discussing lunch options, here's what my kiddos were up to

Getting chocolate milk and donuts after church!  Look how handsome they look in all white shirts with their doting Mimi. :)  And Poppi too of course, who is taking the picture.  I see they have graduated from munchkins to full size donuts.

So I had lunch back at the Taylor abode, and created a paradigm shift by...pause for dramatic effect...opening the blinds.  Aaaaaaaack! :)  We sat at the table and just chatted for hours.  I finally had to make a stand and get out of there.  Staci, for her part, tried to convince me to spend another night, but alas, I had to get back.  I was to go to Christy C. after dinner to catch up and get a student massage.  Plus, I needed to get busy packing.  We are leaving Tuesday, and right now poor Joy's room looks like a typhoon of clothes/shoes etc.  Mostly stuff for the boys to grow into.  I need to acquire one and maybe two additional bags to get it all home, which will thrill Art I am sure. :)  We should probably have had him bring more things home with him.  I am sure it will be fine.  Good thing we are flying Southwest which allows 2 free bags per person.  So I hit the road for the 2 hour drive back, while ZWY enjoyed making their "food craft" - an edible jello/candy aquarium - with Aunt Joy.

They are using straws to push candy fish and worms into the blue jello

I made it in time for dinner.  Nana came over too, and Aunt Joy was there for a bit.  A big reason I wanted to get back was for the rescheduled fireworks!!  The 4th was so rainy that many places rescheduled.  So tonight we are attempting to go watch them.  I also came back to see the place had fallen apart in my absence.  The fan/light over the kitchen table no longer works, so Dad had rigged a work light up and a small fan on the counter.  However, the influx of ants were gone thanks to some heavy spraying while the boys were gone.

Preparing for the fireworks meant changing the boys into pants, shoes and socks, bringing long sleeve shirts, umbrellas, sports chairs, a stroller, an ergobaby, and of course, BUG SPRAY.  It turned out to be wonderful!

Yannick holding his umbrella instead of sitting under his stroller hood.

The rain had mostly held off on our way here, with slight drizzle now and then.  However, now, the drizzle was getting a bit more serious.  Everyone was under umbrellas, hoping this would work out.

Mimi helping to protect Poppi and his Blackberry

Wyatt sort of holding his umbrella over himself and Poppi, and Z preferring just his hood.

Aunt Joy, caught unaware of the fireworks trip, but game to come along in all borrowed clothes and shoes!

It was pretty packed for a small neighborhood fireworks display.  I found out later my old friend Tiffany Ivie (nee Pettepher) was there with her husband and son.  It was m u d d y  and gross.  I am glad I insisted on shoes and socks for the boys!  There was a live band playing patriotic songs, many from the 23s/30s/40s, which was so enjoyable!  Sadly, I found out too late that the Chamblee police was giving away glow items, like swords, necklaces, etc.  By the time I got up to go see how much the glos stuff was, found out about the freebies, I was only able to score 3 keychain flashlights.  Pretty disappointing for the kids, but they quickly bucked up when I threatened to take those away too. :)  As it got dark, the rain finally cleared out, and everyone was able to put their umbrellas down, and the show started.  I wish I would have thought about ear plugs, or headphones etc for Yannick.  It was LOUD.  Too loud for me really, but very scary and terribly loud for the little guy. I pulled him out of the stroller, put my jacket over his ears and my hands over his hands, also over his ears.   He did calm down and actually seemed to enjoy it until the the grand finale, which was much too much.  The show was wonderful though, and they had amazing fireworks.  I'm not sure that right where they launch is the best place for the future, because 1) it is so so loud, and 2) the neck strain of trying to look up.  Maybe laying on the ground would be better.  Still, wonderful, and I'm glad we all came.

I got one good shot in before I had to take over protecting/soothing Yannick.

Then the trek back to the van.  I had the ergo baby to carry Yannick in, the big stroller for Zachary, and the umbrella stroller for Wyatt.  I thought it would be so late and they would be so tired they would not be able to walk back to the van, and would fall asleep on the way back.  I was wrong about that.  they were wide awake until we got them into bed.

One more full day left until we head back.