A Reunion

Samantha came to visit us on Memorial Day. We hadn't seen her in just about a year, but she is living closer to us now and came for the night. We had so much fun doing nothing -- sitting on the back porch, catching up over a few beers. The kids got along great -- after the initial shyness there was lots of giggling and shrieking. I was happy that Gwyn finally got to play with some girls, she is always surrounded by boys! She and Hannah took care of the baby dolls and did some baking. At one point, Lem complained that there were too many girls in the house, but I don't think he really minded all that much.

Lem cried when they left. He wanted to go with them. It's a good thing we will see them again in a few weeks for our Vicenza Girls Getaway 2012.

Memorial Day Weekend Trip -- Food

Our weekend was also a bit of an adventure in food. We had fair food at the festival -- turkey legs, corn on the cob, a hamburger, sweet tea and of course, beers. We also stood in the longest line ever for delicious fresh squeezed lemonade.

Our hotel was not exactly in a tourist area of Nashville. When I searched Google Maps for a restaurant, nearly every one that popped up was a different ethnicity. We decided to try a Vietnamese one that had great reviews.

Vinh-Long was the real deal -- located in a strip mall among an Ethiopian restaurant, a Honduran restaurant (which also got good reviews) and a discount tobacco shop, it only accepted cash. The employees were very nice, and the food was amazing. We got the spring rolls, and the kids had shrimp and fried rice. Win tried the beef and carrot stew, which he loved. As he said, "They aren't messing around when they say it's spicy." and I finally had pho (they pronounced it "fa"). It was really, really good. So simple, yet full of flavor and unbelievably filling. I don't think I'd like to go there after dark, but it was definitely a great food experience.

On Sunday, I once again used my trusty Google Maps and found a sandwich shop in East Nashville. A totally opposite experience -- this is where the hippies live. The staff was friendly as well, and the restaurant was packed. Our sandwiches were huge and delicious -- I had the turkey avocado and Win had the pastrami.

We went off the tourism path this trip and were pleasantly rewarded.

Info: 
Vinh-Long Vietnamese Restaurant

Mitchell Delicatessen

Memorial Day Weekend Trip -- Tennessee Renaissance Festival

Introduction of the Knights competing in the joust.

 This weekend, we came up with plans a little late. Friday we started talking, and by Friday evening, realized our idea of camping at Land Between the Lakes was not going to happen. And camping anywhere was not going to happen. Everyone else had the same idea. But we still wanted to get away for a night, so we headed to Nashville. We couldn't find a good deal on a cool hotel, so we ended up at a Holiday Inn Express not near downtown. No matter, it had a pool and I like Holiday Inns.

We drove down Saturday, and first went to the Tennessee Renaissance Festival. It was the last weekend, and it was really pretty cool. We got to see a joust -- a real, live one. It was fun, everyone cheered for their favorite knight. No one got knocked off his horse, but there were plenty of broken lances. Later in the day, at the end of the festival, they were having the International Jousting Tourney. We didn't stay for that.

Receiving a treasure from a knight ... right next to the beer stand.

We mostly wandered around. Lem and Gwyn met a knight, who gave them each a "jewel." Win tried his hand at axe throwing -- eventually he realized he needed to set his beer down to get a better throw. Lem did remarkably well at a tower knockdown game -- his aim was really good. He just needed a little more power to knock them down.

Trying his luck at a game of skill.

There were lots of people dressed up, and lots of vendors selling medieval stuff. The kids did pretty well, considering it was a million degrees and felt like a sauna. At least most of the festival was set up under the trees.

There is a castle near the site, and during the festival, there are free tours of it. Some people told us it has been under construction for 40 years, by a photographer who started building it right out of high school. They said it is really worth it to go see. So we decided to go, then saw the line. So we will save the castle for next year.

I'd never been to a Renaissance festival before, and it was really fun. If only it hadn't been so hot. We didn't even see all of it, so I think we'll have to go again next year. The kids were asleep about five minutes after we left, and ready for the pool when we got to the hotel.

Info:
Tennessee Renaissance Festival

Summer Cleaning

Prompted, I think, by not being able to find some gear this week, Win decided it was time to finally unpack the last couple boxes we had from moving. Most of them were in the garage, and full of random outdoors things. Between my hoarding tendencies and his "get rid of everything" attitude (does this sound familiar, Mom?), we managed to fill up his truck. And without too much bickering. Now the garage is much better organized and there is much more room. What a fun way to spend a hot summer day.

My problem is I always have a sentimental attachment to things. We donated some of the kids old toys, and they didn't care, but I did. That was Lem's first truck! That was Gwyn's ball! But I think I'll be OK.I know they have too many toys, and they are outgrowing many of them. And they keep getting new ones.

And the other pile of stuff was Win's. Piles and piles and piles of Army stuff. Stuff he can't throw away. And stuff that probably shouldn't be thrown away. We still need to come up with a better way to organize and store it all, until the day comes that he has to return it all to the Army. Seriously, the Army should allot every family an extra room in their house to be designated "Army Crap Storage."

Where does your Army gear take up residence in your home? 

Kickoff to Summer

 We've had a busy first week of summer. I think I'm succeeded in wearing us all out pretty well. We've done something almost every day, and even though it's all been fun, I think we need to slow down a bit. I think I'm going to try to have a least two days a week when we don't go anywhere. But we'll see.

Tuesday we walked the Greenway with the Meetup group. It was just Hannah and Vivian, and even though Lem put up a fight about going, he enjoyed having a new captive audience. He told them all about earthquakes and dinosaurs. It was a workout for me, pushing the stroller with both of them in it, up those big hills. But on the way back, Lem and Gwyn both walked/ran the last mile or so. And after that, we ran some errands, then went home for a couple hours before it was time for t-ball practice.

Gwyn and Gabe.

Wednesday, we went strawberry picking with Vivian. The season is almost over, and Lem had wanted to go. So we went. I ended up picking most of the strawberries, while Gwyn ran up and down the rows with Gabe, and Lem talked Vivian's ear off again. Then we all went to Liberty Park for a picnic lunch and to play on the playground. They love that playground, but it's not so nice for parents trying to keep an eye on their kids. There are lots of hiding places. But there is a fence and only one entrance. Either way, they were worn out. That afternoon they helped me make a strawberry-rhubarb crisp. Lem chopped up the rhubarb and tried it -- he quickly learned it tastes better dipped in sugar.

A taste test.

And Thursday, we went to the commissary early -- that is what I'm going to do all summer, go early before the crowds and the heat. Then I mowed while they played outside. In the afternoon, we went to a company BBQ on post. They had a couple of those bounce houses and slides set up for the kids. They played on them the entire time, and we ended up skipped t-ball, because it would have been cruel to drag them away. I also met a few more people in the company, which is good because I don't know anyone.

One Tomato

One red tomato on the vine

Two eager children

Who gets to eat it?

Luckily, I found two red tomatoes hidden among the leaves. Yay for sun-ripened cherry tomatoes!

Hurray for Summer Vacation

Pre-K Graduation

Yesterday, my baby boy graduated from Pre-Kindergarten. His class had a small awards/graduation ceremony in the afternoon, in the gym. Win couldn't make it, but Gwyn I made it just in time. It was very sweet. It started with the class standing on risers, saying the Pledge of Allegiance, singing America the Beautiful, and a song about being ready to go to Kindergarten. Then Mrs. Reese said a few words about how wonderful the class has been and how they are all ready to go to Kindergarten. She said the most important thing we, as parents, can do over the summer is promote reading. She also read a little poem that made her tear up, as well as some of the parents.

Then one by one, the children's names were announced, and they went up to receive their certificate. After that, they came and sat with their parents and we all watched a wonderful slide show from the entire year. And when that was over, we headed to the classroom for saying goodbye and getting all their things.

Lem was so excited that summer had started. He wanted to grab his stuff and take off. I told him to say goodbye to Ms. Michelle, who was in the room, and to Ivy, his girlfriend. They hugged until they fell over. I don't think he realized that he won't see anyone for the entire summer, but I didn't bring it up. He dragged me out the door after that.

Mrs. Reese had made him a wonderful memory book. It was made up of pictures and work he did throughout the year. It must have taken her a lot of work to do that for each child, and it is very special.

I'm so glad Lem got into this program. It has been wonderful for him, and I think he's definitely ready for Kindergarten. He really loves school. His only complaint through the school year was that it was too long of a day.

As excited he was for summer vacation (he keeps calling it spring break), two hours after waking up his first day of summer, he said, "I wish I was still in school."

Clarksville Farmers' Market and Liberty Park

Saturday, we got an early start and headed to downtown Clarksville. It was the opening weekend of the Farmers' Market, and also the debut weekend of Clarksville's latest park -- Liberty Park. As far as I know, it's been under construction since before we moved here almost a year ago. One thing that Clarksville definitely had going for it is it's abundance of outdoor recreational areas. This one does not disappoint.

The park is located just south of downtown, right on the river. It has a marina, a walking trail, a fishing pond, a great playground (Lem and Gwyn call it the castle playground), and what looks like will be an amphitheater and sports fields. It's really beautiful.

We stayed for about an hour and the kids explored the playground. The only bad thing was the day was so unbelievably humid. We were all dripping in sweat by the time we left. We went up to the Public Square, but went to Blondie's on Franklin for a quick lunch. It is a coffee shop that serves panini. They have a little hidden garden out back, so we sat out there. It was really nice, and for a moment, I could almost imagine we were sitting at an Italian cafe.

We walked back down to the Farmers Market. Lem was on a quest to find "long carrots." As he said, "Not those stupid baby carrots, I want mommy and daddy carrots." He randomly got shy about asking the produce vendors if they had any. Unfortunately, we didn't find any (one vendor said they didn't plant any because the horses always eat them), but we did find some fresh chickens and bought one. That vendor even had a photo album of his happy chickens. I almost asked if our chicken had a name.

We grilled the chicken whole for dinner -- I stuffed it with fresh herbs and garlic. It was so delicious -- it tasted like real chicken. I also had some good mozzarella, so we had insalata caprese as well. Not too bad for a Saturday.

Info:
Blondie's Sandwiches and Coffee
Liberty Park

Kindergarten Roundup

Last night, Lem and I went to his school to sign up for Kindergarten. I can't believe he's going to be five, and starting kindergarten! I thought this was registration, so I ran around yesterday tracking down his shot record, but it turned out to be just a sign up, and an open house of sorts. I got a registration packet and he got a bag full of kindergarten goodies.

He was beyond excited to be at school after hours. We ran into Riley and his mom, a classmate of Lem's that lives right down the street from us. They ride the bus together. So we all went together. They also saw several other classmates, including Ivy and her family. You would have thought they hadn't seen each other in years -- Ivy was screaming, "Lem! Lem! Lem!" and jumping up and down. She gave him such a huge hug that they both almost fell over. I didn't realize until her mom said it, but they probably won't be in the same class next year. There are multiple kindergarten classes. I'm not going to bring that up to Lem, yet.

After we signed up, we went to their classroom to see their artwork on the walls. There were more classmates there, and more hugging and jumping around. Then Lem wanted to watch the Kindergarten singing performance, but the gym was packed ("There's no seats!") so we left. We stopped for frozen yogurt on the way home to celebrate.

I can't believe it's time for Kindergarten. And I'm so glad he's so excited about it.

Spring Sicktime

We've spent the last week dealing with illness (again). I don't know what it is about Tennessee, but it seems like we have been sick a lot this past year.

This wasn't anything major. On Friday evening, Lem came downstairs and said his stomach hurt. I told him to lie down and take a rest, because he had been upstairs spinning on the swivel chair. He lay down and ended up falling asleep. When he woke up a couple hours later, he had a fever. He was feverish until Saturday evening, so he missed his last soccer game.

On Tuesday night, G put herself to bed early and yep, when she woke up a few hours later, she was feverish as well. I put her in our bed and about 20 minutes later, she threw up all over the place. Luckily, that was the only time, but she was feverish all through until this morning. But yesterday, it was just a low-grade one. So we took it easy. Hopefully that's the end of it.

Because of her fever, G and I missed our planned movie night. Lem and Win went to see The Avengers (in 3D!). They both said it was really good, and The Hulk was the best. Lem was clearly blown away by his first 3D experience. I haven't even been to one yet! Gwyn wasn't upset about missing the movie, as she kept telling all of us, "I'm sick." And I promised her we'd go see a movie together sometime. Does anyone know if the Beauty and the Beast (in 3D!) is still showing?

Time for a New Sport

Soccer is over, and next week, T-Ball starts. I went to the parents' meeting last night. Lem's team is the Muckdogs. All he needs to get is a glove. He can use his soccer cleats. He is excited, and I'm interested to see how it goes. Soccer seems pretty laid back and t-ball is more structured. At least for this age group, the main emphasis is on everyone getting to play and have fun, and learn the basis of the sports.

We also signed Lem up for a week-long British soccer camp that is coming to post. He is really, really excited about that. And he's on the waiting list for post swimming lessons after that. If he doesn't get in that slot, he'll start for sure in July. He is not very excited about that at all.

It sounds like a lot, and maybe it is, but man, he really needs stuff like this to burn off energy. On days he doesn't have practice, he goes outside and runs laps around the yard and house. And he is excited about playing, except the swimming lessons.

And ... Another New Sport

We've taken up golf. Well, Win has, and apparently, so have Lem and Gwyn. I have yet to try out the clubs Win bought off a friend. It's a good thing we have a big yard.

A Fishing Date

Tuesday, Win was off. It was a warm spring day, so we decided to take Gwyn and go fishing on post. First we had to get fishing licenses -- that involved getting a picture ID and being checked in to where we planned to fish on post.

After all that, we drove down the hill and parked at the children's fishing creek on post. It's a great little hidden area just outside Gate 10. There is a little creek, and kids under 12 can fish without a license. There are a couple playgrounds, picnic tables, and best of all, ducks. Gwyn just loved them. There were two sets of baby ducks as well, and so she and I spent most of our time watching and following the ducks around, while Win fished.

We didn't catch anything, but we all had fun nonetheless. I fished a little with my (I mean, ahem, Gwyn's ) lucky Mickey Mouse pole, but spent most of my time playing with Gwyn. It is definitely a place we'll go back to.

A Busy Tuesday Night

Tuesday night randomly ended up being quite an eventful night. Lem's had his penultimate soccer practice, and I think it was the best one yet. I love how by the end of the season (this happened last year, as well), the less serious the coach is about "coaching." This night, there were no drills, no lines. For almost the entire hour, the coach, another dad and the kids just played. They scrimmaged and messed around, and it was clear the dads were having just as much fun as the kids. Lem ran over every time to get water with a giant smile on his face. It was great.

And then, we raced home because Macon, Collins, Teddy and Top were waiting with Win and Gwyn at home. They were passing through on their way to St. Louis, and stopped to have dinner with us. So we headed out for a late dinner at our fave place -- Buffalo Wild Wings. It's actually a pretty good place for kids -- loud enough that crying/yelling isn't a problem, and they have these portable video consoles you can bring to the table. So that is always fun for the kids and gives the adults a chance to relax.

Crisis Averted

I couldn't find Bunny when we left today. I did a quick sweep, ran out of time, and we left. Luckily, Baby G didn't notice, and she fell asleep on the way home, so that gave me a little more time. When we got home, I spent about a half hour searching, trying to retrace my two-year-old's steps from the time she woke up this morning. Finally, I figured it out. This morning as she was headed out with Win, she had Bean Dip's Star Wars lunchbox. She set it down in the middle of the kitchen, and I set it on the windowsill.

Yup, opened it up and there was Bunny, and the red car she and BD were fighting over this morning.

She woke up with Bunny in her arms.

I wonder if she would have remembered where she hid Bunny.