Great Weekend

This weekend was gorgeous! We spent a lot of time outside and, added bonus, with family. On Saturday morning, Ben and I planted a small vegetable garden -- several varieties of tomatoes and lettuce, carrots, peas, cucumbers, and a few different herbs.

The rows in the middle are where we planted seeds - anyone know if I'm supposed to mulch there also? I have high hopes for some delicious fresh veggies this summer!

Jess's family came up in the afternoon to celebrate the triplets' and Uncle Joseph's birthdays.

Hangin' on the porch.
Aunt Julie Ann's the BEST!
Birdie had to wake Noah up from his nap to get to the restaurant - sleepy boy.

Lovin' Uncle Joseph.
Coloring with Uncle John at the restaurant.

The Davis Family (extended version)

On Sunday we headed to the Inman Park Festival. We got there later in the day, but the boys had a blast riding MARTA, running around, looking at all the artwork, eating junk food, and listening to some blues tunes.

Staying hydrated (aka playing around with a water bottle).More "hydration."

Goofing around during the concert. Noah was all tuckered out on the train ride home.

Ring Around the Rosy

Noah's newest obsession. Thankfully, thus far, Ben's been willing to oblige ...

And they do it over, and over, and over ...

Bunnies and Bulldogs

Yesterday morning we headed to a nearby park for an Easter Egg Hunt and to see the Easter Bunny. The hunt was, well, modest (it started at 10:00 and was over by about 10:05), but we got to see the bunny (Ben asked later in the day, "It's just a person inside a costume, right?") and gather enough eggs for a small sugar rush.

Petting the dog was definitely more interesting than hunting for eggs in Noah's opinion.

A big improvement from last year (and from Santa): No contact, but no tears.

After the hunt we headed to Athens to watch the UGA G-Day exhibition football game. This was Noah's first trip to the stadium. In Athens walking to lunch.

Grandma Jenny, Mr. Kelley, and Uncle Robert met us there.

Go Dawgs!

This morning Ben woke up dying to go upstairs to see if the Easter Bunny (the real one) had been here. It was so fun to watch him hunt the house and light up with excitement every time he spotted an egg.

Yes, those are Christmas pajamas (festive nonetheless, right?).

Checking out his basket.

Noah's Easter morning was less enthusiastic. It started with being awoken out of a deep sleep ... to do what?? Walk around the house looking for plastic eggs filled with things I would never put in my mouth?? No thanks. (Despite the fact that Noah inhales most anything put in front of him at mealtime, he is repulsed by the mere looks of candy and is terribly indignant if you even suggest he put it in his mouth to try it.) He spent the majority of Easter morning pretty ticked off ... And to make matters worse, poor kid had some serious bedhead.

"Just what am I supposed to do with this thing?!"

He did evenutally come around and decided it was more fun to just roll them around in the hall.

Definitely not feelin' the bunny ears.

Finding his basket in the shower brightened his spirits.

Two handsome boys dressed and ready for church.

This afternoon Ben helped me make bunny biscuits (thank you, Richard's Variety Store for the fabulous bunny cutter).

Chattanooga

We just got back from a train-tastic long weekend in Chattanooga. Such a fun getaway, and such a kid-centered city. We stayed at the Chattanooga Choo-Choo, which is the city's old Grand Central train station converted into a hotel. You can stay in an authentic Victorian train car, and the hotel grounds have everything and anything a kid could want to do, see, touch, taste, hear, etc., etc., etc. (choo, choo, choo) ... The Victorian train cars from the outside.

Our train car room inside.

The hotel had a TON of stuff to keep the kids busy ... Looking in the fish pond.

Playing on the old locomotive, which Ben affectionately named Henry.

Riding the trolley - the 4th oldest operating streetcar in America. Ben loved watching the trains in the Model Railroad Museum, also part of the hotel.

Our first outing was a ride on the Incline Railway, the steepest passenger railway in the world. It's a mile-long train ride up the side of Lookout Mountain. I like to think of myself as an adventurous person, but I don't think I'll be doing that again for a while (or ever). Follow the line to the top of the mountain - that's where the train takes you.

It's ridiculously steep (that's the station at the very top).

Daddy, Noah, and Ben wait for the train.

Ben's excited to start the climb.

Going up the mountain (I'm totally feigning confidence).

The view at the top was spectacular. Heading back down, waaaay down.

The Cravens House is an historic Civil War site on Lookout Mountain. The house was built and owned by Robert Cravens, Jess's great-great grandfather, and was the Confederate headquarters during the Battle of Chattanooga. The boys had a great time running around the grounds ...

Canons are good playthings, right?

Ben "hanging" from the cliff. Monkey see, monkey do.

Yesterday we visited the Tennessee Aquarium.

Trying to pet the rays.

"Daddy, there are even fish on the ceiling!"

Of course we had to do all the corny photo opps ... Shark cage! (Ben was not afraid of the shark, but of the lady who offered to take the picture - gotta love that kid.)

In with the fish!

Noah had to get in on the fun.

Chattanooga also has a fabulous children's museum. This morning the boys had a great time playing with the water tables,

playing doctor,

and playing giant musical instruments.

They also loved the dinosaur exhibit ...
"Wow!"

Indiana Noah pieced the puzzle together, while Ben dug for dinosaur bones.