2016

Happy New Year!

A new year, and a few resolutions ...

Get back into blogging.
Spend less time on my phone.
Be more organized and get rid of clutter.

I feel like I should be able to handle these.

And how was the end of 2015?

We are all sick and quarantined and spent New Year's Eve at home. I made party food (spinach artichoke dip and Mexican bean dip), and we watched football (Roll Tide!) and Dick Clark's Rockin' Eve. Baby G declared it bedtime after she watched Taylor Swift's new video premiere, but Bean Dip was determined to stay up to watch the NYC ball and the Nashville music note drop.

And he made it!

Here's to a year of reunions, adventures, peace, health, and happiness.

Pick Up Day

Tuesday after Memorial Day was our household goods shipment pick up. I got up at 6 a.m. to make sure everything was ready by 8, in case they came on time. Nine a.m., and no one had arrived, so I called. Ten a.m., no call back, and still no movers. Call again, and turns out they forgot to book us. So the original moving company from Friday scrambled to get trucks and a crew, and showed up at 3 p.m. to start. Really messed up my plans for the day. But we went to eat lunch at Best Burger in Level Plains, a teeny, tiny Mom'n'Pop burger joint, and man that was the best burger I'd had in a long time. Definitely the highlight of my day.

The movers finally finished at 7 p.m., and after we watched the trucks drive away with ALL our stuff, we went to Beef'o'Brady's for dinner. Rocky and Shannon, and Patrick and Colleen came too, and we had a little going away dinner. Bean Dip gave Rocky a big hug, I think Win did, too.

I think we've all done pretty well, considered. Win just needs to get himself out of the house every once in a while, and I always have errands for him. Bean Dip has behaved, and is not sad (yet) about moving. He is quite excited about Kentucky, and has told us he wants bunk beds and a study area in his new room. Baby G is doing alright. Neither one seemed at all concerned about all their stuff being packed up and taken away. But Baby G cries the minute she thinks I'm gone, or when Win leaves. I couldn't even go for a swim in the ocean without her crying. Or run outside to snip some herbs. I think she is worried I'm going to get packed up too. I know it is just a phase, and that all this is hard for little kids.

Memorial Day '11

Our harvest.

Last dinner at home in Bama.

Our Memorial Day was our beach recovery day. We were all so lazy. We got a couple things accomplished for the packers the next day, but that was about it. The kids and I dug the garden for carrots and potatoes -- there were way more than I expected. And then for our last home cooked meal in Bama, we had grilled venison tenderloin and back strap (Win's buck), French potato salad with our homegrown potatoes, fresh, raw home grown carrots, and honeydew and cantaloupe for dessert. It seemed very fitting.

Landmark Park

On Saturday we spent the afternoon at Landmark Park in Dothan. I checked the website beforehand, and found out they were having a Wild West show that day. Double bonus!

Landmark Park is a huge park dedicated to Alabama life during the pioneer days. They have a working farm, and a long walking path. We, however, didn't make it much farther than the awesome playground right at the entrance. The kids loved it.

The Wild West show was wrapping up when we got there, but we got to see some horse riding. I guess there is a new "sport" that involves riding at high speeds and shooting (with blanks) balloons. It was pretty entertaining.

After, we went to eat dinner at Cheeburger, Cheeburger, recommended by a friend of Win's. The burgers and shakes were delicious, but the best part was getting to sit outside and not sweat. Baby G, however, was not a fan, and had a very uncharacteristic cry fest toward the end. I think she was upset with the wind, the peppery fries, and not having a long enough nap. She cheered up when I strapped her in the car seat, gave her some Cheez-its, and shared my banana chocolate shake with her.

Strawberry Picking

Friday, we went strawberry picking at a farm just outside Enterprise. It was with the meetup group. Bean Dip was really excited to see his friend, Savannah. We hadn't seen them since before her baby sister was born.

The owner of the farm was very nice, and encouraged "tasting." She informed us that they don't use pesticides so it was safe to eat the strawberries straight off the vine. Baby G didn't do anything other than eat strawberries and yell "daw-derry" for more.

Bean Dip had two in his bucket, and spent the rest of the time eating strawberries and playing in the dirt. And playing with Savannah, of course.

We picked four pounds, and they were all gone by Sunday.

'Tis the Season

The tornado sirens went off around 1 a.m. this morning. Both Win and I got up, and ended up staying up until 3 a.m., watching the weather news and bad infomercials and waiting for the storm. We knew they were coming -- Win didn't fly and was home early because of the weather. I got our tornado shelter ready, and Win stood out watching the sky (the one thing they tell you not to do.) Luckily for us, the worst of the storm passed south of us, and all we got was a gentle thunderstorm.

We can see the fire station from our house, and there is no ignoring the tornado siren when it goes off. And here, people take it seriously. In March 2007, an F-4 tornado came through Enterprise, hitting the high school and killing eight students. It is very sad and scary what they can do. Funny that tornadoes are Bean Dip's favorite storm (that also happens to be his pick-up line: "Do you know what my favorite storm is?) Thankfully, both kids slept through the sirens and thunder.

This line of storms did a lot of damage in Alabama and the rest of the country. Here is an article.

The upside of the bad weather is that Win was home early, and we watched Black Swan. It is terrifying, dark, and twisted without being a horror movie, and absolutely fantastic. Natalie Portman deserves the Oscar she won for it. But definitely not a movie for everyone (like you, Mom!)

Trains, Trains and Trains!

This weekend we had an impromptu mini-vacation. I happened to find out there was a Day Out With Thomas, and after a quick discussion with Win, immediately bought tickets and booked a hotel. The event was in Calera, Al., at the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum. It was about 2.5 hours away, so that's why we decided to spend the night. And Bean Dip loves hotels, so it added to the fun.

We drove up Saturday afternoon. We went swimming at the hotel -- at least Win, Baby G and I did. The water was pretty cold. Bean Dip stuck his feet in, then entertained himself by retrieving balls thrown out of the pool by a couple of boys playing catch. It took Baby G a minute, but eventually she held her arms out to me, and I brought her in the water. The cold doesn't bother her like Bean Dip.

We went out to dinner at Jim'N'Nick's BBQ. We were told they have the best BBQ, and man, it was delicious. We had quite a nice dining experience too -- we sat outside and the kids behaved. It wasn't even that humid. G inhaled her food -- she cleared her plate of fruit and BBQ pulled pork. It took her about 30 minutes to chew a mouthful of meat, but she was determined to see it through.

We had tickets for Thomas on Sunday. The event was pretty cool -- an entire little festival devoted to kids and their love of Thomas. They had train tables set up to play with, mini-golf, temporary tattoos, jump houses, Sir Topsham Hatt, live kids music, etc. We took a ride on the mini-train that was part of the museum. There was even a storytelling/movie area that was pleasantly surprising to me. Inside an old passenger car, they had a large TV showing Thomas videos. They had a carpet in front for the kids to sit, and chairs for the parents. It was quiet, and best of all, air-conditioned. Perfect for kids (and parents) who needed a little break.

The biggest event was a ride on a real train pulled by a real Thomas. The conductors were all dressed up to fit the part. We had tickets for the second open car behind Thomas. It was a 30-minute ride, out into the countryside and then back. Baby G would have fallen asleep if she'd have let herself, and I think Win would have, too.

We left after the train ride. It was time -- if we would have stayed longer, someone would have had a meltdown. We stopped for Bread Co. in Montgomery on the way home (yippee!). It was a great little vacation, something that I think we all needed.

In the Gardens

On Saturday we went to the Dothan Botanical Gardens (who knew?). The gardens were free, well-cared for, and nearly empty (might have been because Dothan City Fest was going on). We spent about an hour there, just roaming the gardens and exploring. There was a koi pond complete with waterfall and bridge, a wetlands observatory, and a nice herb garden. The weather was spectacular, so it was nice to be out in nature.

After the gardens, we did a little shopping and then went to the "train library." We ended up eating an early dinner at Outback, and then headed home to watch basketball. The kids fell asleep on the ride and ended up sleeping straight through the night. Guess the gardens wore them out.

Here's the website: www.dabg.com.

Piney Woods Art Festival

On Saturday, I took the family to the Piney Woods Art Festival in Enterprise. This stems from the conversation Bean Dip and I had the day before. It's funny how each family member can have a completely different experience at the same event. Win was dragging his feet because he didn't get much sleep and didn't like the idea of a small town art festival. After a Boy Scout hot dog and seeing some vintage cars and trucks, he ran into some friends, and I think he at least didn't hate it. Bean Dip was all excited about finding a volcano or tornado painting, but didn't like the idea of stopping to look at each booth. Also, he was upset about his hair getting wet from the rain sprinkles. I think he might have been too hot, too -- he insisted on wearing his jeans and long-sleeved helicopter shirt (it was at least 80 and super humid from the storms). And Baby G, well, we went right at nap time, so I thought she would be a little grumpy. But five minutes' sleep in the car, and she was ready to go. She ran up and down the track (the booths were situated around the track at the community college), stopping to read the booth numbers (every one was a "two"), and waving to everyone. The art was interesting, the bluegrass music fantastic, and the food pretty yummy. I had fried green tomatoes for the first time. At a wood carver's booth, we bought a wooden helicopter for G and a kid's bow and arrows for Bean Dip.

Both kids fell asleep on the way home, and Win and I both got to take a little nap when we got home, too. I don't think that has ever happened before.

Not Your Average Critters

Feeding Whitetail Deer.

Bengal Tiger posing for the cameras.

Look at how tall that cat is.

This weekend was warm and sunny. We were looking for something fun and new to do, but something that wasn't two and a half hours away. We decided to check out McClelland's Critters, the "zoo" near us. Several people had recommended it, and as we got closer, Win said he actually remembers flying over it.

I was more than pleasantly surprised. Out in the country, on a sprawling farm, is a wonderful collection of animals. We fed the camel, zebu, buffalo and whitetail deer. Baby G chased ducks around. We petted a baby lamb and watched turtles try to escape their enclosure. We didn't even see the monkeys. We watched kangaroos and tried to figure out which one was carrying a joey.

But by far, the best part was the tour given by the owner and operator, Mike. He introduced us to all his big cats -- lions, tigers and ligers. It was a great tour -- he gave us a lot of information about each animal, and then wowed us by feeding each one chicken and showing us their "tricks." I've never seen anything like it. He introduced us to his "baby," a tiger cub that still rides in his golf cart with every morning but already eats 15 pounds of meat a day.

He also had bears, both black and grizzly, and said he has a baby bear cub that will be big enough to bring out in about three weeks. He said he will even let visitors bottle feed it.

We had a wonderful visit, and we'll definitely be going back.

Football at the Movies?

Have I mentioned how big football is down here?

Check this out: Title Game Auburn v. Oregon Offered at Carmike Cinema

Instead of going to see a movie, take your kids to the theater to see the big game, free admission with the purchase of a snack and drink.

Pumpkin Picking

Last Sunday, with Doc and Caroline, we ventured out into the Alabama countryside to a pumpkin patch. The farm was the place to be -- cars were lined up in the fields and crowds surrounded the pretty little farmhouse. There was a corn maze, which we ventured into at the request of Bean Dip. It was hot and dusty, but he found the way back out. We visited the farm animals, watched Bean Dip play on the bounce house slide (this was the first time he climbed up himself, and I didn't have to help him), took a tractor "train" ride, and browsed the market area. After the train ride, we decided we didn't need a wagon ride out to the pumpkin patch, and we chose a pumpkin from the bins. Bean Dip, of course, went for the largest one. Baby G picked out a pretty little green and white pumpkin.


On Tuesday, Bean Dip had a field trip to the commissary to pick out a pumpkin. He picked one out, but then informed his teacher he didn't want one, because we already had one. So I told him to give it to Baby G. He did, unceremoniously dropping it into her lap in the stroller. He perked up a bit when they got surprise treat bags from the commissary lady.

Guess ...

... what this is ...

It's giant. And super cool.

It's not just any helicopter, it's a sky crane.

One of the perks of being at the helicopter training center ... the Aviation Museum and seeing helicopters up close. (Top two photos by Bean Dip.)

We had a great weekend last week with some visitors: Win's dad and his youngest sister. We showed them the top sites in the area, namely, the Aviation Museum. The kids always love it, and Bean Dip liked telling Doc all the things he knows about helicopters. We also went to our favorite place ("That place we always go, with the games," according to Bean Dip), Beef'o'Brady's. We watch Alabama football and then went out for ice cream after. Baby G choose the Dark Chocolate Truffle and loved it. She even let me have some.

Aviation Expo

Saturday was Enteprise's second annual Aviation Expo. It was at the municipal airport and a lot of fun. We got to see planes and helicopters up close, climb all over the helicopters, and check out some WWII exhibits. The day ended with a turn on the bouncy slide. I ended up having to go, too. Bean Dip can't quite make the climb to the top yet, and was in danger of being trampled by the bigger kids.


Bean Dip took this picture. We were really that close. It got very windy.


Proof we are in the Deep South. Deep-fried Oreo, anyone?

Roll, Tide, Roll!

This weekend is not only Labor Day weekend, the official end of summer, but also the start of the college football season. And never before have I felt the significance of that until yesterday.

Of course, Win was all excited and had already told me the lineup of games he wants to watch (one of which is on now). Then he got overwhelmed with about four different games on, plus a Cardinals game. We capped it off by going to our favorite sports bar/pub for dinner, Beef'o'Brady's. Or as Bean Dip refers to it, "the place were we always go to eat." They have about 25 televisions, a couple video games, and yummy yummy wings.

So anyway, we were there for the season kickoff of the Alabama game. The place was packed with fans wearing all their Bama gear, and everyone was wholeheartedly into the game. Baby G quite enjoyed all the clapping and cheering, and of course, she loves football, too.

Our neighbor has put his Alabama flags on his truck again, and it is clear that football is what keeps everyone happy here. As Win and I have discussed, Bama may not have much going for it, but it does have college football.

Happy Cows Make Happy Milk

Happy cows.

Watching the udder being filled with milk.

Chocolate milk time.

Yesterday we went with the Meetup group on a tour of a dairy farm. This farm happens to be the first organic dairy in Alabama, and they've just made the switch five weeks ago. So we got to see some very happy cows.

It was pretty interesting, since we went early enough to see the milking process. It is a fairly small operation, with the farmers focusing more on quality than volume. They've also just started bottling their own milk, and are working on getting it into stores in the area. At the end, we all got to try the milk. It tastes different than store milk, I think because it is non-homogenized (meaning the fats still separate, cream rises to the top). Bean Dip didn't care for it, but G did. BD opted for the chocolate milk, which he loved. Funnily enough, this was his first taste of chocolate milk.

Our tour guide told us they are working on getting milk vending machines, where you bring your bottles and fill them with milk. So I told him about Italy's latte crudo machines. He said he didn't think that would fly in Alabama, and said that non-pasteurized milk can only be sold as "pet milk."

If you want to read more about the dairy, here is their website: www.workingcowsdairy.com. The family is Dutch.