Play Streets Savannah

Play Streets is a national initiative offering a high-impact approach to encouraging and increasing physical activity, particularly in neighborhoods that lack sufficient open space for activity. Savannah is one of 10 cities selected for the 2013 program, and this past weekend was their first big event. The program closed Lincoln Street to traffic and hundreds of kids came out to play in the streets. There was dancing, music, hula hooping, dodge ball (a much friendlier version than I remember as a child!) and – the main event – Savannah set a Guinness Book World Record for the most people playing hopscotch simultaneously! (The previous record was set in London in 2011, with a total of 358. We heard Savannah had around 400!) Fletcher is immensely proud to hold a world record, and we all had a great time to boot.

Planting Lola’s Pesto Garden

Lola Gray loves pesto more than almost anything in the world. She also loves digging in the dirt, hunting for bugs, and doing things her own way. This weekend we combined all these loves into Lola’s private garden. She planted basil, purple basil, snapdragons, lavender and daisies. It was quite the hodgepodge, but it was exactly the way she wanted it.

Another week closer to summer . . .

Another week and another weekend have come and gone. How do they pass so quickly?? This week found us enjoying beautiful spring weather in the backyard. It is amazing what a difference the sod has made! Not only is it significantly prettier out back now that we have grass instead of dirt, but we find ourselves spending a lot more time out there. This weekend Lola planted her very own little garden full of basil (for pesto!) and flowers. We played with friends, ran screaming after the ice cream truck and ate ice cream before dinner, attended our first Sand Gnats game of the season, and helped set a world record for the most simultaneous hopscotch games! Not a bad weekend, I’d say.

 

Bear on the Square

A more apt title for this post might be “What have we started???” 🙂

This past weekend, we took our little fiddlers to north Georgia, in the foothills of the Appalachian, for the 2013 Bear on the Square mountain festival in Dahlonega. It was amazing. The festival brought together traditional musicians and craftspeople for a weekend of festivities, and while the headline acts on the main stage were certainly impressive, the really exciting thing about the festival is that the entire downtown area turns int one big jam session. You couldn’t walk 10 steps without coming upon a group of folks just playing music. And, as we predicted, it took no time at all for Fletcher and Lola to want in on the act.

They picked a sunny corner and each played a few tunes. Right away people stopped to listen, and within a matter of minutes, they earned their very first (gold) dollar! We did other things – listened to some great music, ate ice cream and shopped for souvenirs, learned to felt soap and build boxes with clay. The kids even got to pan for gold and Lola found a raw ruby!  But after that first taste of playing fiddle for an audience, those kids really only had one thing on their minds.

It was an amazing thing to watch! Crowds gathered whenever they started playing. People threw dollar bills into their open violin cases and told them they were investing in the future of fiddle music. I can’t even begin to imagine how many photos and videos of my children are out there right now – everyone pulled out their cameras.  And the kids loved every second of it. They quickly figured out a system where they took turns playing songs – Lola even started to dance a little while Fletcher played. That girl was born to be on stage. We forced the kids to stop playing so we could sit and eat a late lunch at the Crimson Moon, but no sooner did we walk in the door than the band invited the kids to come on stage and play a tune! Guess who jumped at the chance (and dragged her brother with her!) I honestly don’t know where she gets it. The child is fearless.

All total, the kids earned just over $86 in tips for their fiddling. Not bad for a days work. But more than the money, I think it was a huge boost to their confidence – Lola in particular just blossomed. She only knows four songs, and she played them over and over (and got a lot better in the process!) but even when she was just playing scales people would clap for her. These kids have big plans for the next festival – I can only imagine that next year they will show up armed with a plan and ready to perform!

Thursdays

I love Thursdays. For the past year or so, Thursday afternoons have been for violin lessons which means I get some precious one-on-one time with each of my kiddos while the other one is in their lesson. This week the weather was beautiful, so we spent the time on Miss Erica’s front porch, listening through the window as Fletcher learned Peek-a-Boo Waltz and Lola Gray learned Amazing Grace.

Roseway schooner

NayNay and Grandaddy came to town for a quick springtime visit this past weekend! Their visits never seem to last long enough – zipping into town on Friday afternoon and back out again on Sunday morning – but we made the most of the time we had.

After a visit to the SCAD Museum of Art and fried green tomatoes and catfish at the Whistlestop Cafe, we boarded the Roseway schooner for a 2 hour river cruise. The Roseway was built in 1920  as a fishing yacht before being commissioned into the US Navy during WWII as a harbor pilot. These days she splits her time between Boston and St. Croix, with brief stops in Savannah each fall and spring.

Our river cruise was not exactly what I expected – I pictured sailing along a good clip and quickly putting downtown behind us in favor of marsh views. Instead we stayed within the downtown area and at times felt like we were barely moving but it was a wonderful experience none-the-less. The kids (and Raymond) got to help raise the sails and had fun playing with the ship’s resident dog Izzy. Grandaddy bought them each a Roseway baseball cap which they have worn constantly since Saturday, and we all enjoyed the sunshine and a relaxing sail.

that face

It is truly ridiculous how much I love this face, all eyes and smile and those fabulous teeth that he hasn’t quite grown into yet. I love that I can see both his father and my father in that face, and yet it is totally his own. I love that right now he is equal parts baby softness and lanky boy-ness.

Yep. I love that face. And the boy who wears it.

Bowling! (It’s NOT a date!)

Fletcher, Lola Gray and I took Fletcher’s sweet friend Skylar bowling with us on Thursday. It was not a date, but it was super cute and lots of fun. Not a bad way to spend a rainy Spring Break morning.

 

Spring break!

The kids are on Spring Break this week, and while Raymond and I are still working we are finding time to do some fun things as well. Monday, Raymond took the kids to see a mid-day concert at the Savannah Music Festival and Tuesday we spent the morning picking strawberries.

We picked a LOT of strawberries! Last night, in addition to eating a ton of just plain old strawberries we also enjoyed homemade strawberry malted milkshakes with dinner. There are plans in the works for strawberry shortcakes, chocolate strawberry crepes, homemade strawberry jam, and perhaps another visit to the strawberry fields before the season is over!

Easter at the beach

I adore going to church on Easter morning. I love getting dressed up,  love the early children’s service our church does (Lola did a great job with the Old Testament reading this year) and the flowering of the cross, and I love the triumphant, joyful music that only appears on Easter Sunday. But after church, I always feel a bit lost. Without family around, a fancy Easter brunch seems forced, at least until the kids are a bit older and able to appreciate it, and I find myself each year struggling with what to do to make the afternoon special. This year, we were lucky to be able to spend the afternoon and evening on a beautiful, if cold, beach with good friends – including the incredible Hensleys visiting from D.C.! Beach time was followed by dinner at the Crab Shack, complete with crazy alligator antics, and while it may not have been a traditional way to spend Easter, it was lovely.