She is so Britney

Backyard driving is a dangerous sport. Children should not be permitted to sit in the front seat with their mothers. Crazy driver.

Harvest Days

This past Saturday, Hailey and I attended Harvest Days at the Nashville Zoo. There is a pre-Civil War mansion on the zoo grounds (I have no idea why the zoo was built around this place but it is so there you have it) and once a year they open it up for tours and set up tents all around the property with people dressed up in clothes from the 1800's doing things like quilting, rubber stamping, making yarn from wool, etc, etc. Its real hands on for the kids and Hailey even got to decorate one of the pieces of the quilt they made and drink freshly pressed apple cider! We saw horses and cows and talked to the chickens, and Hailey tried to pick a squash from the garden...clepto. It was a great day despite the oppressive heat, its fun to think that fall festivals have started and perhaps the weather will cool down again at some point!

Last night we went to the Opryland Hotel and Convention Center. We had heard about it over and over again, but couldn't really imagine what could be so great about a hotel that it was considered a Nashville 'must-see'. Let the following quote from their website explain...

"Gaylord Opryland is recognized around the world for its extraordinary service, luxurious accommodations and first-class entertainment. Under majestic, climate-controlled glass atriums, you'll be surrounded by nine acres of lush indoor gardens, winding rivers and pathways, and sparkling waterfalls where you can unwind, explore, shop, dine, and be entertained to your heart's content. Highlights include a 44-foot waterfall, fountain shows, and tours aboard our Delta Flatboats - right inside the hotel."

Yes, thats right folks, a boat tour inside ONE of the THREE atriums in the hotel! They are currently wrapping up their Summerfest which includes nightly shows in the atriums. We arrived in time for HydroponiX, Plants that Rock, which exlains the pictures of the man with the plant on his head. The atriums are amazing, enormous, and perfect for small children with lots of energy. This certainly was a completely free, Nashville 'must-see' event!

Ambidextrous or Starving

Obviously we are not feeding her enough as she has had to resort to using two spoons, one for each hand. Or maybe she is just showing off. Either way, meal time goes much faster this way!

Fall Fashionista

As the cooler weather has set in we have had a couple of days when long sleeves and closed toed shoes were requirements. Seeing as how Hailey and I only own the open toed Florida version of footwear, shopping needed to be done. And can I just say, in a totally unbiased and completely neutral manner, Hailey Beth is by far the cutest kid I have ever seen wearing Fall fashions! She rocked the playground in her green jogging suit and the sweater from Gammy was an instant hit with both Daddy and the neighbors. Good looks and gifted, she really is the total package.

Because normal is boring

Is this a premonition of a future need for reading glasses? Or perhaps this is her subconscious way of letting me know that she is going to be on the swim team. Either way she is pretty darn cute!

Finally a place to rest your feet

Our couch FINALLY arrived today and its wonderful! The color is perfect, its comfy, and its enormous! Now we need to get to decorating. But now we can officially welcome visitors, so come on over.

Sweaty Sweaterstein

The heat wave ended, or so we thought...that is until Hailey and I hit the park today at 10:45am and rapidly dehydrated in the mid-morning heat. It was 98 degrees. My poor little girl's cheeks were like cherry tomatoes within 3 minutes! But despite the oppressive weather, we were able to have a smashing good time on the swings and slide. And then there is always time for a dip in the pool!

This afternoon Jona gave me the afternoon for myself. So, of course, I went to the mall. But I didn't go to just ANY mall, I went to the Opry Mills Outlet Mall...aka Mecca for the frugal shopper. I was able to keep my wits about me however, and didn't buy much. Instead I opted for a movie and took myself to see the Bourne Ultimatum. Great movie, lots of action, fast paced...alone with popcorn. It was great. The only downfall was that I went to a few shops after the movie and then couldn't find my way back to the entrance where I parked and ended up walking the entire mall which took almost 30 minutes. Which I guess doesn't seem like a very long time, but think about how far you can walk when you are cruising with a purpose for 30 minutes...it was REALLY far let me tell you. Nonetheless, it was a fun outing by myself and I came home fully salted and buttered. Livin' it up here in Nashville.

Handy Hailey

Yesterday Hailey and decided to be handy girls and put together the fire pit that the Renfroe family gave us for Christmas. Hailey was, of course, incredibly helpful...from running away with my screwdriver and wrench, to picking apart the styrofoam packing thus making it that much easier to get into the trash bag. I mean, really, what would I do without such a talented assistant?!?

The fire pit is great and fits perfectly on our deck! I can't wait for the Fall weather to start so we can light it up while we eat dinner out there or roast marshmallows. I am happy to report that our heat wave FINALLY broke. Did I mention that it was 106 degrees the day Mom, Hailey, and I arrived. Hotter here than in Miami! And we continued to break 100 for another week. Now we are in the 80s and today there is a lovely breeze, much more tolerable. I was able to weed the front yard without feeling like I was going to pass out!

So, all is well here in Music City. We bought a couch yesterday which should be delivered next week so we can remove the twin bed and start living like normal people. Hailey is sure to be disappointed, she does love that stinkin' bed. Ok, off to be productive while my little helper snoozes!