Double Digits

Today, my baby girl turned 10 years old. Ten years... that's a long time. So how did it go by so fast? I remember so much about that day, but I've also forgotten so much about what it was like to have a little baby. I realized today when I was feeding Gage that I couldn't barely remember what it was like to feed my babies. Oh how I wish I could go back to those moments. I wouldn't want to stay in them, because our lives are in such a good place now, but I really wish I had savored those moments. I've got to make a point to savor the ones now. Here is a picture of one of those sweet moments...Paige holding Maddi today. Paige's big birthday celebration was our trip to Memphis, but she had to have a party on her big day! We had a yummy dinner with our dear friends, and I made Paige a chocolately chocolate cake with chocolate icing...and a little extra chocolate thrown in for good measure! Both of my sisters called during cake and presents, and Paige was seranaded by her cousins. She has been adequately spoiled for one more year! Happy Birthday Paigie Waigie! You are much loved!

Memphis, TN Graceland Edition

Ok, so why haven't I posted about the rest of our trip? Because I don't have pictures! I left the memory card for my camera in the computer at the hotel room, and had already paid to park at Graceland when I discovered it. I thought I'd be able to buy one in the gift shop, but they don't sell them. I did see (after we had already toured the house) that they did sell disposable cameras. Paige did take LOTS of pics with her cell phone, but I haven't seen them yet. Sooooo, I guess you will have to use your imagination when I tell you about the trip.

It was really cool! We got there shortly after 10, so the tours had just started. It wasn't hot at all, and the line went pretty quickly. They have this whole complex across the street from the actual house. You get this headphone set up so that you can hear an audio tour guide. You can replay it and go through pretty much at your own pace. You ride a shuttle over to the house. Graceland was prettier than I thought it would be. It's stone, not brick. They let people in kind of in shifts, but that went pretty quickly too. You can not go upstairs because that was always his private quarters and he never had guests upstairs. You see the living room, his parent's bedroom, the dining room and the kitchen. The kitchen wasn't any bigger than mine! And it had some funky looking carpet in it! Then you go downstairs into the basement and there are mirrors on the walls and ceiling of the stairs! We gotta do that in our basement! Downstairs you see a family room and a pool room (pool table, not swimming pool). Then you go up the back stairs into the famous jungle room! There is green shag carpeting everywhere...including the ceilings! And lots of wood carved furniture that made me think of tiki huts. Groovy. From there, you go outside into a converted garage type building. This was his dad's office/the business office of EP Enterprises. In there, was the coolest thing I saw the whole trip...my Granny's living room carpet! The carpet was the exact same carpet she had in her living room when I was a little girl. Wow, Elvis and Granny had the same taste! From there you went into the trophy room. This was a whole other building full of momentoes from when he first started out through his whole career. It was set up pretty much in chronological order. There was a hallway about as long as my whole house covered floor to ceiling in gold/platinum albums and awards...even some Grammys! (and I think Paige took a pic of each one!) Then you went through part where you saw things from his movies and his and Priscilla's wedding clothes, etc. One really cool thing was 40 cancelled checks for $1000 each to different charities. What was so cool about it was they were all written on the same day. Apparently he was very generous...and not just with Cadillacs. From there you went into another out building that was a rec room of sorts and what used to be the raquetball court. It is now a room 2 stories high covered floor to ceiling in the awards he has been given posthumously. There was one given by RCA, I think, that had to be 6 feet tall, 3 thick panes of glass, awarded for being the greatest entertainer of all time. And after seeing all the stuff he accomplished, I believe they may be right. In this room was a video playing of that famous concert with the white jumpsuit and he was singing the American Trilogy. There were several of the jumpsuits on display in there. And it was eerie. Everyone was quiet, and you could see him performing Dixie, and Glory, Glory, Hallelujah, and there was no way you could walk out of there not an Elvis Fan. It gave me chills...hunka, hunka, burning love! From there you went out to where he and his family are buried. That didn't do much for me, because I know that people aren't in graves.

I'll stop for now...I figure I should drag this out at least as long as I drug out the Road Trip of 09. Besides, you know the most important thing...He had the same carpet as my Granny!

Memphis Day 1

We have arrived in Memphis...all bright and shiny, obviously! The plane ride was really fast, and Paige loved it! She had no ear pain at all, but I had enough for both of us. About half way through the flight, it got bumpy, so they changed altitudes. My ears hurt so bad...and don't say chew gum, cuz even that hurt. My ears hurt, my teeth hurt, even my throat hurt, and I could barely hear. It's 5 hours later, and my ears still aren't right. If you have any suggestions for how to prevent this on the way home, I'm open to them! But enough about that...we made it safe and sound!

Then we picked up our rental car...there were two to choose from, and Paige chose this snazzy bright blue Kia! It doesn't have power locks or windows...we sure are spoiled by our cars!

Next, Paige drove us to our hotel. Well, not really, but she looks ready to drive, doesn't she?!

After several wrong turns, we finally got the hang of the Tom Tom (and figured out how to turn on the sound so we could hear it), and we arrived at our hotel. The lady at the front desk was very nice and we very much admired her false eyelashes!

After an unsuccessful attempt at a nap, we went to dinner at Bahama Breeze. YUM! We played several rounds of tic tac toe, and the cat won several, I won one or two, and Paige beat me more times than I'd like to admit. I really need to brush up on my tic tac toe skills. To think that I had wondered if I needed to let her win. HA! We had the goat cheese and roasted red pepper appetizer (yes, it is good) and Paige had bow-tie mac and cheese, and I had seafood bisque/chowder.

Last, but not least, we went to Target for necessities. We have a "full" night planned as you can see! Tomorrow, we're going to visit the King of Rock n Roll. Until then, Cathryn and Paige have left the building.

So Why are We Going to Memphis?

Why Memphis? When I tell someone about our trip to Memphis, I get a lot of funny looks. And advice about how Memphis isn't the best place for two unaccompanied females to go. And so forth and so on.

But it isn't about Memphis, it's about the trip. Paige really wanted to fly somewhere this summer, and Memphis is a nice short relatively inexpensive plane trip (if you buy your tickets at the right time). She is turning double digits this year, and that's a really big deal to a child. As fast as the last ten years has flown by, I'm sure the next few years will too. Will Paige always want to go somewhere with me? I'm thinking "NO!". But right now, she is still willing to be seen with her mother, and I know I better hold on and make the most of these moments. Another big factor in choosing Memphis, is Graceland of course. But not for obvious reasons. You see, I'm not really an Elvis fan. I have nothing against him, but I could take him or leave him. But my mama loved Elvis (and William Lee Golden from the Oak Ridge Boys...she had weird taste), and when she found out that Paige liked Elvis, she greatly encouraged it. Mama never went to Graceland...or much of anywhere. I never went on a "spend the night in a motel trip" with my parents until after I was married. But I'm sure my mama would have loved to have gone to Graceland with us. Right after Daddy died, I tried to get Mama to go on trips with us. She came and spent a week in Milledgeville, we went to St. Augustine, and we went to Callaway Gardens. But it got harder and harder to get Mama to go anywhere...and when she did, she didn't want to do anything. So I stopped trying. Maybe if I hadn't stopped trying, she wouldn't have given up. I won't stop trying with Paige. If she wants to go, and I can take her...I'm gonna. And if Memphis to see Graceland is what she wants to do, then we're going to Graceland! For Paige, for me, and for my mama.

Tuesday, Tuesday

My day started off fabulous...I slept til almost 10! After that, the day flew by...I guess that happens when you sleep half of it away! Frank had today off of school, so we went to lunch at Lieu's and then bought new sunglasses. I haven't had nice sunglasses in a long time, but today I found the cutest pair of Vera Bradley's...I love them! I got them for less than half of retail, but then I saw them on Ebay for half of what I paid. That was a bummer, but it was a spur of the moment purchase, so I did absolutely no research. I never do that...I always look for the very best deal. But I still love them! Frank got a pair of Costas finally...they even fit his big head! Then we went to Kroger, and guess what yall...I cooked dinner! I found this yummy recipe for enchiladas on Beth Moore's daughter's blog (and if it came from anyone related to Beth Moore, it has to be wonderful, right?) and I made homemade salsa with tomatoes Frank grew. It was very good! Tonight, I have watched tv while Frank has done homework. The kids haven't fought as much today, and I'm so glad. They fought all day yesterday. Paige is getting very excited about our trip, and so am I. I'll have something cool to blog about then...not just about sleeping til 10!

You Say It's Your Birthday...

Well, it's my birthday too! Today has been a very low-key birthday...I spent most of it in bed watching daytime tv and on the computer. I did the bare minimum of chores, and didn't even get dressed until after noon. I wish I had a whole lot more of these days before I have to go back to work!
After the play last night, we went to Little Tokyo for dinner kinda/sorta for my birthday, but mostly cuz Paige wanted to go. Because I know Frank oh so well, I emailed him on his new blackberry to hint (very strongly) that I needed a cake for my birthday...I even specified Key Lime. Well, he didn't get the hint. He even went to the bakery to visit Becky today, and didn't get me a cake. When I found out there was no cake (and this is not my first birthday without a cake) I burst out crying. What a dork! But I couldn't stop. I came home and got in bed. He came in an hour later, and still no cake! He did have his leftovers from the bakery, 1 cookie, 1 donut, and half of a cherry thing. Uh, thanks Frank. He left to go to Monday night visitation, and he said he'd bring home ice cream since he messed up on the cake. Gee, thanks. I stayed in bed feeling pretty sorry for myself, and ordered pizza for the kids. About 9, I heard the dogs barking, and thought it was Frank, but it was Cindy, Becky and Matthew...with a cake AND petit fours! Frank had called Becky and begged her to help him out. :) Good Ol Frank! So we had cake and ice cream with my favorite peeps, and the day was saved! I also figured out I have PMS which partially explains the crying and pity party. Happy Birthday to me, from my dear Aunt Flo!

Proud Mommy

Tonight, I am a proud Mommy. Well, I am always a proud Mommy, but especially tonight. My baby girl did something I could never do. She did a wonderful job as "Andie Buchwald" in our children's musical tonight. She even sang a beautiful solo. AWWWW! I knew what to expect because I had helped her with her lines and listened to the cd (over and over again) so I didn't cry like I was afraid I would do. I am also proud of Jacob because he was willing to do something he so clearly didn't want to do just because he's a good kid. He was the lead pirate. And Frank, my crazy curtseying husband, he was a natural at playing Paige, I mean Andie's, dad. All of the kids did a fabulous job, and they were cuter than any pirates I've ever seen. I am very thankful for Jamie and Amber and everyone else who helped put this musical together. I hope this is an annual summer event!

For the star's latest head shots, go to www.alainaforsheephotography.com and go to client proofing, July 2009, Paige, password 343. But prepare yourself, they are GORGEOUS! I only wish I had time to have prints made so she could have signed autographs tonight!

Memphis, Here We Come!

During the Great Road Trip of '09, we drove past Graceland (at a very high rate of speed, mind you) and Paige was quite disappointed that she didn't get to visit the home of the King. I had an epiphany that some day, just Paige and I would visit Graceland, and while wallowing in my epiphany, as I am prone to do, I looked on delta.com to see what a plane ticket from ATL to MEM would cost. Imagine my complete shock when I found out that they are merely $99. Now Paige was already pretty put out that we went on the Great ROAD Trip of '09, and she is the ONLY person in our family who has never flown, so my epiphany magnified (is that possible?) and I decided to take Paige to Memphis for her 10th birthday.

We've talked and talked about this trip, and I finally sat down Sunday to buy the plane tickets. It was my turn to be devastated when I found out that the plane tickets had jumped from $99 to over $400! Gulp! I couldn't bear to break the news to Paige, so I thought if I had another cool trip planned, it would lessen the blow. I spent hours and hours online Monday looking for a place at the beach that was affordable. HAHAHAHA!

Tuesday morning, I decided to look at air fares again, and sure enough, over $400 on delta.com. But then I looked at Hotwire, and YAY!!!! I found $99 fares! I did have to switch the days of the trip, but I am thrilled that we are still going. I spent my hours today getting the best deals I could find on planes, rental cars, and hotel rooms. We are set! We will be in Memphis 7/18-7/21, on the Girls' Birthday Trip '09. My birthday is 7/13 and hers is 7/25, and this year, we will celebrate them with the King!

I am attempting to participate in a blog hop this week. The theme is Favorite Picture, so in honor of our upcoming trip, here's Paige and Elvis.

The Good Life

I realized tonight that we have such a good life.

This has been a great weekend. One of my sisters came up Thursday night, and Paige and I showed her the sights Friday. We had lunch at the Brick, and dessert at Scoops. Then we went in several of the antique stores downtown. We even got a treat box from Ryals. We finished up with a short trip to the famous Milledgeville Mall and Paige got a set of 3 pairs of earrings for $1.00!

Today we had a house full of friends over for a fish fry. The food was delicious, and the fellowship was wonderful. I stayed relaxed, and never did get in a tizzy about the preparations like I usually do...I must be growing up!

After everyone had left, when I was cleaning the kitchen, I realized what a great life we have. We are so blessed. I know that all the blessings we have are not due to anything we have done. They are gifts from God, and I am so grateful. These are the good old days :)

Summer Reading

Cindy, Paige and I took dinner to Dr. and Mrs. Lingle today. There were two highlights to the trip.

1. Dr. Lingle said not once, but twice, that I am much too young to be Frank's wife. HAH! Considering that on the way to Walmart this morning I noticed that the lines under my eyes are getting deeper by the second, those were words I needed to hear today.

2. Dr. Lingle showed us some books from his extensive collection and he loaned Paige an old copy of Heidi. She has been absorbed into the book ever since.


Speaking of summer reading...look at this great blog post about encouraging your kids to read the most important book of all.