Thursday, June 30, 2011

Beach Baby ~ GS Vacay Day 6

Now that we have been here for 5 days Maison will not agree to just stand and let the surf hit her feet. She fights to go further into the water and cries if we take her away from sitting in the surf. Today was all about our beach baby...

Going for a walk with Daddy:

Riding waves with Mommy:

Mommy and Daddy's lunch while I was taking my nap:

I heart Joe Patti's!!!

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

I found Singapore ~ GS Vacay Day 5, Part 2

My dad LOVES Joe Patti's, the huge seafood market in Pensacola. Every time he is in the vicinity of Pensacola he wants to go to Joe Patti's and buy a cooler full of fresh seafood. I really didn't get why he had to drive all the way to Pensacola to get fresh seafood when there are fresh seafood markets in every Gulf Coast city. He took Adam to Joe Patti's last year when we stayed in Perdido Key and Adam has been asking every day since we got to Gulf Shores if this was the day we were going to go.

So today we went, and I must admit it was worth the 2 hour round trip. Joe Patti's has every fish and shellfish that comes from the Gulf Coast fresh. It has a deli, a bakery, gelato, candy, and a speciality wine store. Do you know what speciality wine store means? Cakebread, Plumpjack, Peju, Flowers...need I go on?

When I went to India and then Sri Lanka for 2 weeks and then landed in Singapore it was like I had died and gone to heaven. To this day it is one of my favorite countries because it was the mecca of cleanliness and order after the chaos and dirtiness I had come from. Joe Patti's is the Singapore of the Gulf Coast.

OCD ~ GS Vacay Day 5

The highlight of our morning beach trip was organizing the sunscreen. Apparently "the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree" (meaning me, not Adam of course) as Maison seems to be as OCD as I am. Ocean, sand, 50 sand toys...nope, I'll just play with the sunscreen, thanks.

These pictures aren't that exciting other than I caught the beach thief in this one!

OCD is fun with or without sunglasses...

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Throwing the day away ~ GS Vacay Day 4, Part 3

This afternoon Maison decided she would show our thieving beach neighbors her throwing skills by launching every piece of ice from our cooler individually in their direction.

By the way, look who's helping dig the ice out of the cooler. That would NOT be Mommy's hand.

When we ran out of ice and I buried every launched piece in the sand, we moved on to sand castle building. After we completed each sand castle I showed Maison how to sprinkle the dry powdery white sand on top and say "Sugar on top" like Shari and I use to do with my mom when we were little girls. "Sugar on top" turned into throwing sand at the thieves as if Maison was saying, "You keep blowing smoke at me and I'll throw ice and sand in return."

"Nicely putting Sugar on Top"
"Take that, you thieves!"

"I didn't throw anything, you can't prove anything"

"I'm sure they don't recognize me in these sunglasses"

Froggy Day ~ GS Vacay Day 4, Part 2

This morning was stormy so we drove into Orange Beach to go to Publix. Maison thought Publix was about the best store ever. On top of 2 Dora coloring books they had a frog chair. Aside from HK and Elmo, frogs are about as high on Maison's list as you can get.

So here you go, Noo, Maison in her frog chair!

Building sand castles in the rain:

Redneck Riviera ~ GS Vacay Day 4

My family has vacationed on the Gulf Coast since before I could walk and I have heard it referred to the Redneck Riviera all my life. In the 35+ years I've been coming to this area I could count on only one hand the number of truly redneck occurrences that had happened. But then we started coming to the Alabama part of the Gulf Coast and I have to admit there is validity to people calling the Gulf Coast the Redneck Riviera.

Reasons from 2009 vacay to Gulf Shores, Alabama:
1. Lady on the beach with a son named Jack Daniels. Adam asked her if his first name was Jack and middle or last name was Daniels. No, first name Jack Daniels and she confirmed it was in honor of the whiskey. This mother of the year was wearing a Jack Daniels "wife beater" tank top as she said this.

2. Lady who asked her 8-9 year old son to go to the car and "fix her a drink". That would be an alcoholic drink. She mentioned that they had "been at the beach all day long"...it was noon and apparently she was thirsty. She did provide mixing instructions. I found it alarming that she wouldn't let her son go to the pool by himself (as he did ask to do this) but she felt if was ok for him to go into a parking lot, unlock a car trunk, mix a cocktail, and walk back to the beach by himself. I'm pretty sure potential pool drowning would have been a better example of parenting.

Reasons from 2011 vacay to Gulf Shores, Alabama:
1. Family next to us on the beach admitting that they have stolen all the beach gear they needed...and I quote, "If you stay down here long enough you can get anything you need. I already got 2 rafts and some chairs." Um, ok. If ANYTHING of ours comes up missing I already told Adam, I'm out and out accusing these thieves!!!

2. Same family drinking Budweiser with lime and smoking cigs at 10am. Oh, I failed to mention they have not 1 but 2 babies under the age of 2 yet they choose to blow their smoke at my toddler. Feel free to do society a favor and kill off your own offspring but don't be trying to give mine lung cancer.

3. Same family (what is up with these people? Are they filming the sequel to Deliverance and we were not notified?) bathing...I'm not kidding!!! BATHING....one of the babies in the sand removal shower. I was walking Maison back so she didn't get anymore smoke in her face and this woman was bathing her naked child in the sand removal shower. She said "I just can't get the sand out of her diaper" as she pointed to her private parts. Uh, she's not wearing a diaper so that might be your first issue. I informed her that was why I put my daughter in two swim diapers...one disposable, one cloth. The cloth one catches the sand so the disposable one doesn't. She thought that was a great idea. I'm sure this woman had never seen a cloth or disposable swim diaper in her life.

This is only day 4 so I'm sure there will be other examples of Redneck Riviera to post. Let's just hope one is not about Adam and me taking down the "Kentucky 7" next to us on the beach for stealing Maison's "cha-chas" (read arm floaties) or frog chair. Did I mention they were Georgia fans???

Monday, June 27, 2011

Rockin Day 3 ~ GS Vacay Day 3

Last night we were so tired that Maison went to bed at 7:25 and Adam and I were both asleep by 8:30. I really think the last time I went to bed at 8:30 is when I was heavily sedated from gum surgery or maybe even tonsil surgery so you get the idea how tired we were.

But today is a new day. After sleeping 9 1/2 hours, I got up at 6am ran 7 miles, and was showered and ready to walk out the door at 8am. We found a pastry shop that had Seattle's Best Coffee that is only 3 miles from our condo and we were on the beach by 9:30.

Maison rocking her bikini:

Maison enjoying good coffee as much as Mommy:

So far we are off to a rockin day 3!

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Sand and Surf ~ GS Vacay Day 2

After 14 hours in the car yesterday, Maison went to bed after 11pm and woke up at 6am. I only got a little over 5 hours of sleep and thus wanted some good coffee this morning. Adam suggested we try Cafe Beignets. I thought we would get a good cup of coffee that we could take with us into the grocery store since we needed to get a few necessities before hitting the beach. Adam decides to order a plate of beignets. Uh, our child has a sugar allergy. What does she cry for the entire time we are there? Gum balls from the gum ball machine and Adam's beignets that are covered in powdered sugar. I ended up taking her and my coffee to the book store so that Adam could finish his sugar high in peace. Did I mention the cafe au lait was cafe au gross? So no good coffee for me...

After 30 min in the bookstore and Curious George, Dr Seuss, and a George and Martha purchase we were finally in Bruno's grocery store which took forever! "Necessities" turned into to full out shopping, Mickey Mouse balloon buying, bathroom stopping forever. When we got back to our condo it was time for Maison to eat lunch and take a nap.

I gave up on the nap after an hour of playing, talking, and fake sneezing. I went to make my strawberry goat cheese salad only to find out that somehow we made it home with no goat cheese. Can you say F my life? So I substituted my goat cheese for a bottle of Caymus Conundrum. It's 2:30pm on my second day of vacation...something had to not suck.

We finally made it out to the beach about 3:30 this afternoon. Maison still loves the sand but is a little leery of the ocean now that she is old enough to go in.

Building sandcastles with Mommy:

Sitting in the surf:

Yes, you look like a heroin addict after 14 hours in the car and 5 hours of sleep:

I'm Saying Never ~ GS Vacay Day 1

Apparently I have short term memory loss because I could have sworn I said on the way home from Perdido Key last May that I was NEVER, EVER, EVER driving more than 3 hours in the car. It didn't matter if it was with or without Maison. I wasn't doing it again....

Yet here I am...just completed the 14 (maybe you didn't get that...FOURTEEN) hour drive from Plano to Gulf Shores Alabama. I don't know whether to thank God for our DVD player or curse him. If I have to watch Despicable Me, UP!, or Curious George the movie one more time I may scream (like Maison) for at least an hour, if not two.

There are no pictures from our drive because I would not want to document what it feels like to be in hell. I hope Adam loves me enough to drive me to the Mobile or Pensacola airport on his way back to Texas because I got my memory back and I am NEVER getting in the car again!

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Maison screams 20!

Maison turned 20 months old today and she is all about S & S....that would be sliding and screaming. She has been into sliding for while now but after a weekend with Charlsie Grace, her older and louder cousin, she has taken up screaming. To our delight, ear piercing, bloody murder, screaming.


Happy 20 months, Maison!

Sunday, June 19, 2011

85 years...

Tonight we celebrated Nannie's 85th b-day with 5 of our relatives from Atlanta...Uncle Jack, Aunt Susan, Aunt Mary Lou (Lou-Lou), and our cousins, Cathy and Charlsie Grace. Nannie had no idea that our relatives were flying in for her b-day celebration and was quite surprised when they were sitting in my parents kitchen when she came in Friday afternoon.

Maison, Charlsie, and Monchichis...

Nannie with Charlsie:

Nannie showing off her Gucci bag from the Shari, Bubba, Adam, and me:

Happy 85th Nannie!

Friday, June 17, 2011

Kitty Cousins

Maison and her cousin, Charlsie, met for the first time tonight and were immediately fast friends. It seems these two little girls share a love for Hello Kitty...

Charlsie had to practically fight Maison off of her HK welcome gift!

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

I wanna be Mia

Today I started Mia Hamm summer soccer camp.* I loved it so much I wouldn't let go of my ball. I carried it all the way home in my lap!

* Editors Note: Mia Hamm Soccer Camp = Mommy playing soccer with me at the park

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Future Olympian

This morning was Maison's last swim lesson before we start the summer session next week. The class was the same as always...songs, stations, swimming.

Maison at the "sinky" station:

At the end of class, each child received a ribbon and t-shirt. On the way home I texted my mom to tell her that Maison got a ribbon in swim class. A few hours later Shari called to see what "award" Maison had "won". Apparently, a participation ribbon is just as good as an award in the eyes of Maison's Nooey.

Our future Olympian with her medal....I mean ribbon:

First Swimming Accolade:

Thursday, June 2, 2011

I'm seeing someone new

That's right, I've moved on after eight wonderful years with Brian.

Oh Brian, how did we end up here? I trusted you with my fine dirty blonde hair and was in awe of your ability to turn my hair into voluptuous curls with golden highlights. It would be worth going to hairdresser school just to learn how to man a round brush the way you do. So why would you leave me? Why would you run off to LA to try to be the lead singer for Velvet Revolver? What are you in high school? Why would you give up a stellar hair career for a pipe dream? Well, Mr. Brian, you can have your Velvet Revolver try-out because I've moved on!

Today I spent my afternoon with Ian. Oh Ian, we have a ways to go. You have to learn how fast my fine dirty blonde hair processes so I don't end up with platinum blonde hair. You have to learn that I don't like to leave your salon with straight hair (I can do straight!) but big round brush curls. But I have high hopes for you, Ian. I really hope things work out...I don't know if we'll make it eight years but at least a second date!