Florida, beginning with Disney

Welcome to Florida!
The Grand Floridian was fabulous! We loved it!
Beautiful, wonderful music in the lobby, helpful and friendly staff (or cast members, as they are referred).



Getting spit on by a pretend camel.
Must be a boy thing.

J HAD to have a turkey leg for lunch.

Cooling off. It was hot and humid!

On Safari. Also, while in the Animal Kingdom I got pooped on by a flying bird. I love nature!

Taken during the Dessert Buffet and great seating for the fireworks.

Mary Poppins was practically perfect in every way.

Using his muscles, J tries to pull the Sword from the Stone.

S and Daddy driving!

Trying to not make a mess... at least he tried!

One our way to Mickey's BBQ!

In full disclosure, I don't really "get" the draw of Disney. I know lots of people that love it , and go frequently. But once you've been there, well... you've been there, done that. I talked to a man, from Texas, whose family were on their third trip to Disney World in thirteen months. What about the rest of the country? Niagara Falls, the Outer Banks, Mount Rushmore? It is very clean and organized, everyone is incredibly helpful, but I never want to go back.

Also, I was appalled by the amount of piercings and tattoos. And I must be really out of the loop, because when did bra straps become a fashion statement?

Marvelous Macon

We saw this house the last time we were in Macon, and fell in love with it. It was for sale then, and the new owners have done a great job.

The famous Johnston-Felton-Hay House.

B wants the turret. We love Macon, just driving the streets, admiring the homes.

Lunch in Atlanta

I planned the trip so we would land in Atlanta at lunch time. I had to eat at Buckhead Diner. We ate here several years ago, and I had the best steak I have ever eaten.
These are to die for- potato chips with bleu cheese. I would have licked the plate, if no one was around.

My lunch, another perfect steak. I didn't have room for the white chocolate banana pudding, but I've had it before, and you should definitely try it.

The lunch was wonderful, and we saw a movie star to boot - from my all time favorite movie, The Godfather. Robert Duvall was sitting in the next booth.

Florida or bust

My entire wardrobe of Lilly is packed and we are off to two weeks in Florida!

Disney, Clearwater, Sanibel, Everglades, the Keys, Miami, Palm Beach...

We'll see it, and eat it, all!

July Fourth Weekend

Time with all the cousins
The dinner beauty shot

My Brother-in-law's beauty shot, I love him!

Chilling

Pretending a graham cracker is a cell phone

At the beach.

Antiquing

Boating

Eating Frosty Tip

Structure or Unstructured

The thing about parenthood is you don't necessarily know if you are making the right decisions until the kids are grown. I give the kids lots of unstructured time in the summer. No lessons, no tutors, no day camps. I do art projects with them, and we practice some math facts, but other than that, they play. They are out of the house about 7am and play outside for hours. They come up with creative things to build, games to play, and interesting ways to incorporate water into everything!

I feel very alone in this style of parenting, "You aren't having them do anything?!" It's not like they just sit there all day, they are constantly going... up trees, into the tree fort, in the sand box, under the sprinkler. I think that they have an entire adult life in front of them with responsibilities, deadlines and pressures. What adult wouldn't take a few months of freedom?

Will they appreciate all their carefree days when they are adults? Will they feel they missed out because they aren't on any teams? Time will tell.

Spring Concert

Madras, Seersucker and Stylish Ties, oh my.

I was very proud of my very handsome sons. They happily dressed up for their school Spring Concert, even though boys don't dress like this in Wisconsin. Except when their mother thinks she may have been Southern in a former life!