Payoff

Remember these guys? Look at them now! I can't really take any credit for them. Rob is the main gardener in this house. But, I certainly do enjoy the benefits of his green thumb.

Pink Bunnies and Chick-fil-a

Only a mom who truly loves her kid would venture into a Chick-fil-a on Kid's Night. It's crazy. But you know what? Harper loves it. So every Tuesday night, we go.

In addition to free kids meals, Chick-fil-a brings in special guests to entertain the kids while they eat. Tonight, Sonnie was there to do face and arm painting. It was actually pretty cool.

Harper decided to get a pink bunny on her arm. It actually wasn't her first choice. She initially picked out a skull with flames coming out of his head. I nixed that one. (That's ok to do, right? I'm not crushing her creative freedom or individuality, right? I mean seriously, it was a skull with flames!). After some negotiation, she decided she wanted a tinker bell. However, when she got up in the chair and Sonnie asked her what she wanted, she said a pink bunny. Go figure. It is never a dull moment with this kid.

Anticipation

I'm starting to get excited about the humble garden that's taking shape on our deck. 

Physics Friday

While it's well known that I prefer green science (ie. biology) to any type of physical science... every once in a while, physics proves itself to be not as lame as I like to think it is.



For more information about what this is, how it works, and general nerdy-nerd stuff click here.

Trophies and Ice Cream

Harper's last dance class of the semester was last night. It was pretty fun. The girls got to do some special dance games involving stuffed animals and rainbow ribbons. They also got to run through their recital dance one last time. Then it was time for the most important part of the night...the trophy presentation!

Each little girl received a trophy with her name and the date on it. Pretty fancy stuff.

Then it was time for one last group picture...which is actually code language for time to herd the cats.

Next, we took all of the girls out for dinner and ice cream.

I'm kind of glad that we're getting our Wednesday nights back for the summer. But, I think Harper and I will both be ready to start back up with lessons in the fall.

Until then, we'll just bask in the glow of her trophy which is front and center on the fireplace mantle.

They're Back...

News Flash: I'm a science nerd.

That being said, I'm sure you're not surprised that I'm a little excited about all of the cicadas that are erupting in Middle Tennessee at this very moment.

Cicadas are pretty cool little creatures. The females lay eggs under the bark of a tree. The eggs hatch and the newborn nymphs burrow into the ground where they hang out for 13 years (17 in some cases)! Then, they tunnel out of the ground, shed their exoskeleton, and emerge as adults to start the cycle all over again.

Can you imagine taking a 13 year nap? Sounds fantastic to me. Just think of all of the things that have happened in the last 13 years. For starters, in 1998, Bill Clinton was president and our country had a budget surplus. Personally, off the top of my head in the last 13 years I graduated high school, graduated college, got married, got a PhD, had a baby, moved to Nashville, started carrying a purse etc, etc.

But, back to the cicadas. I took these pictures at work yesterday.

All Grown Up

Discarded Exoskeletons

Cool, aren't they. And, I hear they're good eats...

As Promised

This picture is so sweet, I get a cavity just by looking at it. 

Harper is on the bottom right. Click on the picture to see a version that you can zoom in on to get a better look.