Callaway Gardens

We visited Callaway Gardens today as I had learned from a neighbor that admission was free during the months of January and February. We all had a blast despite the drizzly weather. Sophia did not nap until we were exiting the park. And we also got gated in (dead bolt and all) as we didn't leave the park until after 6 p.m. Fortunately, we found a phone number on a pamphlet, so hubby called to get help. They directed us to another exit with a gate arm that lifted.

I learned later in the week that Annabelle was actually worried that we would not be able to exit the park. On the Wednesday following our Callaway Gardens adventure on Tuesday, Annabelle attended a Bible Study at the church where she learned that she needed to let God do the worrying. They asked the children what worries were on their mind, and Annabelle had told them that she was worried that we would be stuck in the park last night. Neither hubby or I had a clue that she was actually worried.

On the way to Callaway Gardens, we played a game to determine who could identify the most objects along the way that began with the letter B. Hubby took the gold! And now I cannot even remember who came in second as it was definitely a close run between Annabelle and me. On the way home, we changed the letter to C. It was dark by this point though, so it was definitely more challenging. I was quite amazed at the things Annabelle identified for both letters.

Here is one of my favorite pictures from our visit. It is definitely a beautiful place! I would love to visit again soon when the azaleas are in full bloom!


And you cannot tell from the picture, but Sophia is actually wearing Annabelle's fleece. It was supposed to be in the 70's, but it was actually a bit chilly. We visited the Butterfly Center first. Sophia found some water to splash in and before I even thought twice she had soaked herself including her own fleece coat and long-sleeve onesie. Since I expected a high in the 70's, I only brought another short-sleeve onesie and jeans. So, we had to improvise. Sophia borrowed Annabelle's fleece jacket and Annabelle borrowed mine. I stayed cold most of the time because hubby decided to not bring a coat at all so he didn't have anything to pass down to me! By the looks of this picture though, I had apparently selfishly snagged my own fleece jacket for the moment.

Fernbank Planetarium

Today was Annabelle's very first visit to the Fernbank Planetarium. My good friend, Michelle, and her daughter, Audrey, joined us. With my rocking Groupon Fernbank pass, I can get 2 adults and up to 4 kids into the planetarium shows for free.

The children's program running at the Fernbank Planetarium right now ends on August 7th, so I wanted to get Annabelle in to see it this week before the show ended completely. We saw the Galaxy Gameshow.

Of course, I am not sure how much Annabelle really "got" out of it, but life is all about the experiences, right? I am sure she is learning more from these "field trips" than I realize.

As life with a baby will have it, I naturally got pooped on 10-15 minutes into the show. Pooped on as in poop leaked out of Sophia's diaper onto my shorts. Somehow she missed her onesie. That was a good thing though as I was already running low on clothes hence the pink and plain onesie.

So, what was I to do? It was completely dark and if we left, supposedly we would be locked out! So, Sophia sat in it until she decided she no longer wanted to sit in it. That girl cannot stand a dirty diaper! It just ticks her off. Very unlike her sister because Annabelle never had a care in the world when she had a dirty diaper on.

But, 20-25 minutes into the show, Sophia had enough of sitting in her own poo! So, she fussed and completely refused the paci. What was I to do but leave my friend, Michelle, to care for my oldest child and her daughter, Audrey? I think I put a little too much trust in my own daughter to sit still and be quiet. She was already quite antsy as it was. I am sure the guy sitting next to Annabelle appreciated her getting up and down out of her chair. But, I did get his kids in for free into the show because one should never let a good membership go to waste!

I asked Annabelle before leaving if she wanted to stay and watch the show with Miss Michelle and Audrey. She did, of course. So Sophia and I left promptly.

And I realized as soon as the doors locked behind me that I had forgotten the diaper bag! So, Sophia sat in poo a little longer. I did try to open the doors in hope that they really weren't locked and the admission clerk was kidding. She wasn't! I actually decided to try to go back in after I thought how outrageous it was to leave Annabelle sitting in a row by herself to behave. Just as I was attempting to open the locked door, out comes Miss Michelle and Audrey. Apparently Michelle thought that Audrey may have started getting a little motion sickness from the stars moving in the planetarium, so they decided to leave. It was perfect timing!


Annabelle, Mommy and Sophia sitting in the planetarium waiting on the 11:00 a.m. show to begin. This was a first for Annabelle, and a second for Sophia since Sophia went with Mommy and Daddy this weekend to the adult show in the planetarium. Annabelle is looking more and more like me every single day. It takes pictures of us together for me to realize it. I just wonder who Sophia is going to look like when she is older.

Check out the long-sleeve dress in the above picture of us in the planetarium. Do you think I'd dress my child in long-sleeves in 100 degree weather in August? Nope! Miss Stubborn, for the second day in a row, insisted that she wanted to wear some of her winter clothes. I thought I was teaching her a lesson to not be so stubborn because I was hoping she'd get hot in that dress. It didn't seem to bother her at all! The independence is really shining through!

After the show and a much needed diaper change, we dropped some pennies in the "black hole," as I like to call it. Annabelle loves watching the pennies spin around and around. And then we went outside to see the chickens. We also toured a vegetable garden with squash and tiny peppers. Annabelle still talks about the vegetable garden (as of Wednesday) and wants to go back to see the "tiny, tiny peppers." We enjoyed watching the butterflies in the butterfly garden. Although, there were more butterflies outside of the actual butterfly garden. Annabelle wanted to take a walk through the forest that we had slightly ventured into last time, but we opted out because the mosquitoes were awful!

Annabelle acted as Miss Michelle and Audrey's little tour guide throughout the Fernbank Science Center. She wanted to show them where everything was. And, she apparently did so when Sophia and I had to run out to the car to grab the stroller shortly after we arrived. It was just too much for me to tote her around without the Baby Bjorn, and I left that at home. And, Sophia felt it necessary to spit up all over the floor several times.

The above picture is of the girls with the chickens. Actually, you can only see one rooster between their heads in the picture above. And Audrey is carrying her latest lovey, Diego. I love it! It is so sweet! It reminds me of the days that Annabelle had to take "Teddy" everywhere with her. I miss those days!

We had a wonderful time visiting with friends despite the poopie incident! But, it is the little things that bring laughter to life and help make memories that more memorable. Not to mention, it teaches me to take each incident one step at a time!

Fernbank Museum Take 2

Back in April, on one of those days that I thought I was for sure delivering baby #2 (but I didn't), I found an awesome deal on an annual family membership to Fernbank Museum. I think I paid $35 for a membership that costs $85. I was having contractions, but I took the time in between contractions to get my groupon! And for that I am thankful!

We took the girls on Father's Day for the very first time ever. Annabelle really enjoyed the gecko exhibit they have going on, so I've intended to take her back for awhile. So today I took my friend, Kelley, her two kids, Pierce and Adie, Kelley's sister, Michelle, and Michelle's two kids, Sydni and Wyatt. It ended up only costing them for one adult because my membership covers two adults (including myself) and up to four kids. Adie is under three, so she was free. And Sophia was of course free as well.

Annabelle loved the gecko exhibits again. Her attention span quite frankly stinks these days though. I am hoping it is just the age. She spent more time running from exhibit to exhibit than she did looking at the geckos. She does love the computer learning resources though. As soon as she spotted one that she had remembered from our last visit, she ran straight for it. She insisted on wearing her fancy hat again. She wanted to wear it to show Adie because Adie gave it to her for the tea party she had at her 2nd birthday party.

Annabelle adores Adie even though she is 16 months younger than her. So she insisted that Adie needed to hold her hand even though Adie was not that interested. I think she may have actually had something to do with Adie getting upset and sitting in her stroller to cry shortly after this next picture, but I never got a direct answer from Annabelle on it. Perhaps it was just a coincidence. Annabelle is such a loving girl and always wants to hold hands with her friends. She hasn't realized yet that her friends don't always want to hold her hand.

Sophia, much like her older sister, does not like to miss a thing! She had not napped since she woke up this a.m. at 7:45 a.m., and we met everyone at Fernbank at 10:00 a.m. She would get a cat nap in here and there, but she mostly wanted to be held upright. She was a hit with the other kiddos though. Pierce, Kelley's oldest child and the oldest boy pictured below, is such a sweetheart to her. He is so gentle with her. Annabelle may have to fight Sophia one day for his hand in marriage though because he may already have his eye on Sophia! LOL! Here is the gang swarming Sophia while waiting in line for our free hot dogs. It was Free Hot Dog Wednesday as well!

I finally swaddled Sophia after I finished eating my one hot dog lunch. Perhaps that is why I got a massive headache later in the day. I guess being cheap doesn't always pay off when my health suffers, does it? As usual, I think I got a few looks after she had been swaddled, and Kelley and I discussed how she looks like she's in a straight jacket. But, swaddling works and I swear by it since it has worked awesomely with both my girls. Sophia fought being swaddled at first when she was a newborn, but once I figured out the correct way from "The Happiest Baby on the Block," we have been golden ever since! And she slept like a champ after she was swaddled today.

And then we visited a different exhibit geared more for older children, but Annabelle still seemed to enjoy herself despite the lack of age appropriateness and hopefully she learned something along the way. Here she is blowing bubbles while I attempted to teach her about gravity and white light. So if she pipes in one day using the word gravity, you'll know where she got it.

As for the daycare children visiting this exhibit at Fernbank today, do parents no longer teach their children manners and respect for their elders? One child in line behind Annabelle at the bubbles turned to me and said, "Let someone else have a turn now! It is Ethan's turn. Let someone else have a turn!" I, of course, had to put that stinker in his place. Annabelle had waited patiently for her turn in line, and she hadn't been playing for long at all. And, another girl came over and took a wand at one of the centers away from Annabelle and said, "Can I have this now?" I spoke up and said, "No. She was here first."

And here is my little dinosaur!

Here is the gang as we were leaving. Sophia is the only one missing. Look who is tired! She doesn't ever show it though until we set foot in the car, and then it is always meltdown time. Annabelle runs full speed ahead and then crashes. But, she still refuses to take a nap. She did heed my advice and spent a little time alone in her room this afternoon reading books and playing with puzzles for "quiet time" while I tried to rest my pounding head.

Annabelle found some shade under a beautiful pot of flowers that she sat under last time as well. It apparently didn't bother her to take her shoes off and walk bare footed on the hot concrete. Sydni tried to do the same but realized it was too hot for her feet. I suspect it would have probably been too hot for my feet too! In this picture Annabelle is being a goofball. "Cheese! Cheese! Cheese! Cheese!" she exclaimed.

And until our next visit to Fernbank, we have the memories from today! I love being a mommy to these sweet (and sometimes obnoxious) girls!