A Little Girl Pampering

We even managed to squeeze in a little girl's only pampering with Mom Mom, Aunt Cat and Aunt Fran.  This was M's first mani/pani and she loved every minute of it.  And, both of the girls' first department store lip gloss application.  Chris just rolled his eyes with fright. Me, on the other hand--I can't wait to have more pampering days with my girls in the future!!!

Abattoir

Our first night in Atlanta was an adults only dinner.  And, I selfishly admit, I like starting out a vacation like this.  Especially, when at a restaurant like Abattoir!  Given the name, you probably guessed it is pretty much meat, more meat and a bit more meat.   So it makes sense that the menu is based around “whole animal cuisine” or "tip to tail cooking".  It certainly does not disappoint us carnivores, but it certainly does not forget about the non-carnivores either and has plenty of options for the less adventurous eaters.  I loved its cooking philosophy of farm-to-table.  I loved that it put a contemporary southern spin on the dishes.  I loved the look and feel of the place.  I simply loved this restaurant....period!  And, the company was the cherry on top of the ice cream sundae!!!

Boiled Peanuts

crispy ceci peas

spicy veal sweetbreads

pretzel with pimento cheese foam

lamb sausage

charcuterie

georgia chicken schnitzel

cheese platter

abattoir dessert sampler 

Spring Break in Atlanta

A couple of weeks ago, we spent Spring Break in Atlanta with Chris' family.  We all had a blast but I think the girls especially loved their time with cousin N!  It was a very laid back, relaxing vacation...just what the doctor ordered.  Speaking of doctors, we ended up taking ARose back to the doctor while visiting with the same symptoms.  A record high 9700 pollen count didn't help her breathing that's for sure, but I think we are on top of it now.  We visited Stone Mountain which M really loved (ARose was a little scared), Lego Land, a children's museum, played in the parks, went swimming, played with the new puppies and ate A LOT of ice cream.   Oh, and did I mention that M started reading the newspaper...the funnies that is.  

ARose Update

She had a relapse Sunday night. We took her to the doctor yesterday and she has pneumonia. We caught it in time so the docs think we can manage with antibiotics, oral steroids and the inhaler. She is doing better but you can tell she's not her normal self. Nights are the worst right now but hopefully we are on the up swing of this mess. Send some thoughts her way. This has been tough for her.

Weekend with the Pettit's

What a fun weekend! I did something crazy cool with Ang. We planned a day for just us girls. Doing what? Nails, hair, massage, movies, shopping, wine tasting, scrap booking? Um, no! Our fun required body protection gear. We participated in an indoor mountain bike all women's clinic in Milwaukee. I've been mountain biking plenty of times in the North Georgia mountains but nothing quite like this. I will admit being indoors was very confining bordering on claustrophobic for me but I learned so much!! Can't wait to take my new skills outdoors....maybe I will get to use them next week when the family visits Georgia.







M tried Tae Kwon Do for the first time as a guest with the Pettit's. They are taking this together as a family. I would have never even thought if that. It actually was not what I expected. It looked like a lot of fun. I could see myself getting into it. M like it at first but she had not been feeling good for a couple of days and it finally caught up with her there.









The rest of the time was spent playing and catching up.










And, so much to say about these $)&@ but this is a family blog:-)).

A Basketball Game to Remember

M's first professional basketball game reminded Chris' dad about Chris' (and his brother Mike's) first.   76ers circa '79/'80.  Front row and this photo landed on the front page of the Philadelphia Inquirer!  Pretty cool!!

Smell of Spring

Nothing says Spring better than daffodils.  While these daffodils clearly did not come from my garden (yet), they are in the local grocer so I’m taking that as a sign of warmth to come.  And, the fact that yesterday was sunny in the 60’s just adds to my excitement.  Spring is in the air and I’m ready!

ER Visit

Well, we made it 2.5 years without a trip to the ER with Arose. Today was her day though. SHE IS FINE, no worries! A few breathing treatments and oral steroids did the trick. We will continue with the breathing treatments for 24 hours which should be enough. Poor baby! She was an absolute trooper.

Sound familiar? Yep, we had a similar episode with M when she was about the same age. Same symptoms, ER visit, breathing treatments, etc. Arose will out grow this just like M.

She's fast asleep right now and mommy's going to join her soon! ERs are about as fun as a root canal. Actually, I'd rather have a root canal!



And, we have the best neighbors! Nothing like a little Lemon cake to raise our spirits! Thanks, Jen!