The Travel Adventures

For a week, I am going to depart from stories of Claire and give you a glimpse into my travel journal! Today is the first day of my many travel adventures throughout August, September and October. I haven't had to travel much at all this summer, so we have been gearing up for a travel-heavy fall.

First, last night (Wednesday), we met Aunt Ang and Drew at exit 126 off of I-40. This is half-way between Paris, TN and Fairview, TN. When I travel for a weekend event, Angela takes Claire for Wednesday night - Thursday and my mom and dad take her through Saturday. When we arrived at the truck stop and Aunt Ang pulled up, Claire grabbed her blanket and her moo-ee (movie/DVD player) and headed to her van. So much for the bitter-sweet goodbyes!

Today, I headed out to Louisville, KY for an event. I will return home on Saturday night and fly out for New England on Sunday afternoon. But let's not rush ahead. We've had a fun-filled day in Louisville today.

As most people know, I am a Kentucky girl, born and bred! However, Louisville was never one of our destination cities. We went to Louisville most every November when I was in middle and high school to watch our Mayfield Cardinal football team compete in the state championship. I remember going to Louisville when I was a little younger to watch my sister play in softball tournaments, but I have never experienced much of Louisville.

Today, I became a tourist in my home state. First, we ate lunch at Lynn's Paradise Cafe. Rich, one of our long-standing event team members is one of those people that you love to have on a trip. He is always up on the trendy things from music (he called it early that Knarls Barclay's "Crazy" would be the summer hit of 2006), technology, cool photography and especially restaurants. He watches Food Network and saw that Bobby Flay spotlighted this Louisville hang-out. Well, if you ever want to experience eclectic, Lynn's Paradise Cafe is the place for you. But it is also the place for delicious breakfast, wonderful KY Hot Browns, sweet potatoe fries with cinnamon and my choice today, Fried Green Tomatoe BLT (and I hate tomatoes).

After Lynn's, we did go to the event venue and do a little bit of work. After set up, our friend and event "director of security" arranged for us to have a private tour of Churchill Downs - the home of the Kentucky Derby. I was excited but not at all prepared for the type of tour we received. Our connection for the tour was Churchill Downs Director of Security, Charles. He showed us the typical highlights, a little Q/A with the head of the media area and then a trip down to the original Churchill Downs area. At this point, we were on the ground level and a stones throw from the track and the winner's circle. Our new friend Charles said, "Let's sneak out across the track and get you all a picture in the winner's circle." Besides the excitement of doing something wrong (but we were with the head of security) and the excitement of being in the Churchill Downs Winner Circle where ONLY the KY Derby winner is allowed - this KY girl was about to pee on herself!!! (Just kidding - if you know me well, you know that I am a pro at holding it).

But it was a fun-filled day of basking in my KY heritage. Next stop - back to Lynn's Paradise Cafe for breakfast (I know, when you find something you like, why mess with it!)

I miss you Claire! Sleep tight and I can't wait to see your new haircut!!!!

We're on a First Name Basis Now!

Last week was our church's VBS. We have VBS in the evening. So, the Cato House was running crazy. I would rush home from work, pick Claire up at Becca's, run by the new house to see Bill and the progress for just a second, run home, give Claire a bath and feed her supper in 30 minutes and out the door to VBS. Claire and I would get home around 8:30 and Bill would be close behind coming home from the house. By the end of the week, all three of us were exhausted.

However, we had a few comic reliefs in the midst of a crazy week. On Thursday night, last night of VBS, I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off and Claire was just trying to keep up with me as she trailed on my heels. I heard her a few times yell, "Daddy"! Daddy wasn't home so I just ignored her. Then I noticed her yelling "Beal, Beal, Beal." I whirled around and noticed she was standing at the back door where Daddy (Bill) usually comes home through. She looked at me and said it again, "Beal". I DIED laughing and that just spurred her on more. Oh, her Daddy wouldn't find it funny, but at the moment, I was rolling.

Fast forward. Friday night, we take a family trip to Lowe's to pick out hard-wood stain color and countertop (side note...we are in a quandary about whether to use solid surface or laminate...I just can't justify the cost of granite and who in the world decided that granite in a house would receive such a return on investment...feel free to vote on what "surface" we should go with). Back to Lowe's. We had 10 minutes to check out with our light bulbs and Miracle Grow, (because as noted in an earlier blog, I did, indeed let the flowers die. I'm hoping to revive them with Miracle Grow. I'm blaming the two weeks that I didn't water the flowers on one week of VBS!). I generously decided that both Bill and I could buy a magazine of our choice (because I'm the family Chief Financial Officer and he's the Chief Operations Officer). I hurried to the lawn and garden magazines (!!!) and he was looking at wood-working. I heard him yelling my name, but I didn't have time to pay him any attention...I only had 10 minutes to find the resource to revive my flowers. And then I heard his boisterous laugh. I whirled around and heard Claire yelling at the top of her lungs, "Aumy, Aumy, Aumy!" Oh no, back at you Mommy. Claire was on a first name basis with me too!!! I did laugh, but didn't find it as funny as her calling her Daddy "Beal"!

Growing Up!

It's been amazing (and fun and sad) to watch Claire grow up so much over this summer. The beginning of the summer, I was still having to help her with the shape sorter and now she can do it all by herself and with little thought. She's talking so much and can actually tell me that she wants milk or a nanny (banana). Vocabulary has cut down on her frustration level! She's already liking to play dress up and get her clothes out of the laundry and put pants on her head or put both legs in one leg hole! It's not perfect, but she's gaining that independence.

Wednesday night when we were getting her ready for bed, I realized that a minor diaper rash had exploded to a very sensitive diaper rash. I have yet to find a diaper rash cream that is perfect for her skin. A&D and Boudreaux's are okay, but I have found if I just let her run around for about 30 minutes without a diaper...poof, diaper rash is gone!

So, rather than going to bed, she got to run around with complete "freedom" Wednesday night. Then she preceded to get in her drawer and get a sun hat from last summer that is just a tad too small. And then she wanted to play with Noah's Ark. So, here is what we had:

Independence, here we come!

Floats, Floaties and Swim Sweaters

I just HATE it that I don't have pictures to document my next story.

Growing up, I feel like I lived in the water. I spent most summer days (only the days I did not have a softball game because Dad thought I didn't play as well after I had been to the pool all day!) at Oak Hills Swim and Racquet Club in Mayfield! Mom would drop us off on her way back to work from lunch and we would usually stay until 4:30-5 pm. That equals about 5-6 hours in the sun and water most every summer day of my life (and after I ironed my 10 pieces of clothes and unloaded the dishwasher). When I turned 15, I took my lifeguard test and by 16, I was a full-fledged lifeguard. This was just a few years before they enforced the red one-piece lifeguard dress code, so we were still able to wear two-pieces to lifeguard in (what in the world were the managers thinking!). So, basically, I got paid for 6 hours of sun-bathing and catching up with my friends at the pool.

I am way off subject here! That story is only to say, I want Claire to enjoy, love and embrace water. So, off to Target I head to the outdoor/water toys aisle. Who knew there were so many options. Basically there is Speedo, SwimWay and Aquatics and each of these brands has stages from water awareness to water confidence.

Well, I knew that Claire was "water aware" and even thought she was "water confident" from her 20 months of splishing and splashing the tub. But I started at Stage 1 just in case the pool was different, but just in case the water awareness gear was too elementary for her, I also purchased the water confidence stage. And not only did I buy SwimWay brand, I had to get the cute gear from Aquatics. So, our luggage included (1) turtle float, (1) spring-action float with a canopy over it, (1) swim sweater, (1) speedo flotation suit and (1) set of arm swimmies. We were ready for anything.

Fast forward to the first day in Florida. Not only did I have a head-ache from blowing up all the floats, the swim sweater actually required an air compressor like you would inflate a tire. (You've got to be kidding me). So, Bill headed down to the corner gas station and came back with Claire's inner tube!

Our time (or our money) were not spent in vain. Claire was successfully water aware and water confident. We nick-named her "Little Water Bug" and mommy even wanted to get her a spray-painted t-shirt with "Claire -Water Bug - Cato" (yes I grew up in the 80's and loved wearing my spray painted shirt tucked in my jams with my Dexter/Eastland shoes). But I refrained from purchasing such a frivolous item!!! Nonetheless, she squeeled with delight in the water and was completely at home. Perhaps I have a little lifeguard on my hands!!!

Oh, and the biggest surprise...she TANS! (You need to understand that the only physical traits I prayed for when I was expecting her were (1) that she would have blue eyes, (2) that her ears would lay flat to her head unlike her Mom's and (3) that she would have my coloring and skin tones because Bill is fair. So far, I'm batting 100!

A Vacation Teaser

This is just a teaser. When I finally sat down to upload the pictures, I realized what a poor job we did of taking pics with our camera. My dad and brother-in-law also had cameras and I guess I thought I was taking more pictures than I really was because they were taking some. Hopefully, I'll get some from them (hint, hint Dad and Rod)!

Here is a cute picture of Claire on the merry-go round at the amusement park. She's going to be my thrill seeker! Everyone continues to ask me in jest if there is anything of me on Claire since she is a spitting image of her Daddy. I always say her sweet disposition, but that doesn't work when she's rotten to the core. But I found my similiarity! She likes rides. Her daddy hates them.

My second date with Bill was at the Wilson County Fair here in Nashville. I LOVE rides, so we hopped from one ride to the next on that date. I was having a blast, but noticed Bill wasn't talking much. I just knew there wasn't going to be a third date, but I thought, "I'm going to enjoy all of these rides on his dime!" So I continued to the next ride.

It wasn't until after we were married (I got that third date!) that I realized that Bill hates rides and gets motion sickness!!!

All to say, I am so thankful that I have a child that will enjoy Disney with me one day. She jumped from one ride to the next at the little amusement park in Destin and squeeled at each one!!! (And yes, that is Bill behind her. The merry-go round is just his speed!)

I'm Alive

I have constantly been harping my friends and family to check out the blog. To continue blogging, I need the positive affirmation that people are actually reading my hard work (thank you Amy Griffin for being my most consistent commenter!).

We are alive and well. Father's Day was our last entry. But we have been busy preparing for vacation, then going on vacation and now recuperating from vacation! I have funny, some hilarious, stories to tell you about our time at the beach, so hopefully that will be tonight's activities since Wipe-Out is the only thing I know that's on tv tonight and I care nothing about that show.

So, hold tight! I'll be back tonight with some great pics and hopefully funny tales!!!