What to do today...

We're not sure what we're going to do this afternoon, but I wanted to remind everyone how adorable my little girl is...

Now this is some serious multitasking- putting on make up while Dora flies like an eagle.

And clearly this meal included ranch dressing and she must consume every last drop.

Another busy Saturday

Well, so far Fall in Nashville is great! Its fun that every weekend we have to pick between so many different things to do. And they're all FREE! This Saturday we went to Biscuits & Bluegrass at the Loveless Cafe in the morning.

Nationally acclaimed and frequented by celebrities, world travelers and local appetites alike, the Loveless Cafe serves up award-winning country ham and red eye gravy, real Southern-fried chicken, and Nashville's favorite scratch biscuits with homemade preserves cooked right in the kitchen. (www.lovelesscafe.com)

There was a live Bluegrass band pickin' in the sun with fried chicken and your choice of sides being served on the porch. I mean really, can you beat that? Ok, yes. You can add pony rides in the back, face painting, and quaint little shops filled with everything from jam to Christmas ornaments! Sadly, Hailey was Grumpy Grumperstein so we didn't stay long, but we were there long enough to say that the biscuits were indeed the best we've ever had.

In the afternoon, after Sleepy Von Grumpybum refused to nap, we headed to Germantown for Octoberfest. What an adorable part of Nashville this turned out to be. Almost reminded me of New Orleans with the front porches and friendly people. Of course, instead of etouffee there was bratwurst, and instead of jazz there was polka, but the similarities were there nonetheless. If we're being honest though, Hailey's favorite part was the incredible number of puppies running around. Everyone had a dog and I think Hailey was sure she'd found a little piece of heaven.

Next week I'll be reporting on either the Music & Molasses Festival or Harvest Fest or Ghoul Days at the zoo or the local corn maze & pumpkin patch...so many options, so many Saturdays to fill.

Sometimes it seems like the only way out...

Poor guy. He is so tormented, this is what its come to.

Celebrating Fall in the heat

Yesterday was another great Nashville day. The three of us started the day at Cheekwood, a historic site that is now the home of an art museum and botanical gardens. This season they have decorated the grounds with a variety of scarecrows designed by various groups and artists. We only covered maybe half of the estate and it was beautiful. I would imagine that in the Spring when everything is in bloom it must be breathtaking. As for the weather we've been having, plants can't decide if they should blossom or die so there weren't too many flowers! But the scarecrows were fun and Hailey had a great time running up and down the pathways. We ended our morning there with a little adventure in the art room. Apparently every Saturday they do arts and crafts for kids, something different every week. This week was fish painting. And no, we weren't painting pictures of fish, we painted an actual fish. Yes, a dead fish. And then we used it as a sort of print to make our picture. Hailey thought it was a riot just to play in the paint, I think it was kind of gross, but the picture is hanging on the fridge either way :)

After that we headed to Centennial Park for the annual Celebration of Cultures. We expected something a little bigger, but it was still fun. There were a couple of stages set up with different kinds of music and dancing and an area where local organizations had booths set up with info and crafts of their respective countries. All that and international fair food too! Entrance to the Parthenon was also free for the weekend. The Parthenon is in the middle of the park and is supposed to be an exact replica of the original. Strange that it is in Nashville, I agree, but there it stands. Inside there are replicas of different statues and an ENORMOUS recreation of the goddess Athena as it stood in the Parthenon in Athens. By enormous I mean 42 feet tall and decked out in a gold robe flanked by a serpent. Even stranger I swear. I'm glad I've seen it so now I don't have to wonder, but I'm even happier that it was free.

The only downside of the day was the oppressive heat. I mean, we moved out of Miami, why is it 90 in October. We went through many popsicles at the fair and Hailey passed out cold as soon as we put her in her air conditioned car seat. Bring on the seasonal shift PLEASE!