Georgia Trip

Malcolm wanted to go to Georgia for his birthday. We couldn't do that, but we were able to go down for the first ten days of September.

We left September 1st. The goal was to leave by 6am. We left by 8:45am. The rest of the day seemed to go in a similar manner. Everything took longer than we thought it should. We picked up Thomas's sister who lives about two hours south of us, and one hour out of our way, so we added two extra hours there. Then the road was closed, and all the detours around the road closure were backed up, so we meandered through the country for about an extra 45 minutes. And we kept running into road construction or accidents that slowed down traffic. We took one other detour off the interstate, and came back on right next to the cars we recognized from before we got off, so that one didn't add any extra time, but it was a slow down and it was beautiful. South of Virginia, and after 6pm, traffic was clear and we made great time, but when it is supper and you are only half way through your trip, you begin to question your sanity. We arrived around 2:30am on September 2nd, so thankful for Thomas's mother's hospitality. Although it took approximately 18 hours instead of the 13 that we have done before, the last several hours were quite pleasant for me. The boys cuddled into me and fell asleep on my shoulders.

When we woke up on Saturday, we felt like the boys needed to get out and walk around. So in spite of the fact that Thomas and I were exhausted, we went to a historic mansion and garden called Hills and Dales.  We watched a short video about the women who kept the garden, which gave us the general history of families. Then while Grandmommy and the boys rode the fun cart to the garden and mansion, Thomas and I walked through the big trees on a pleasant little path. We walked around the garden, but we had a specific time that we had to start the tour, so we had to rush a bit. The tour went very quickly, and although I would have liked to take a little more time going though, it was plenty long for the boys. It was almost 5pm when we left, so after a quick stop by the grocery store, we went home for supper.

On Sunday, we went to church and rested around the house. I think that day we played some theater games together. Slow Motion Samurai was a big hit with the boys. Thomas's sister and I worked a little bit on the Cat Duet. 

Monday was an at home day as well. We all needed a just a day to slow down and not do anything major. But we did go for a lovely walk.

Tuesday morning, we went to the Infantry Museum at Fort Moore. Maybe most people don't notice stuff like this, but the design of the museum was really good. Our favorite display was called "The Last 100 Yards" which depicted several infantry charges throughout American History, from the Seige at Yorktown to Normandy to Desert Storm. In the lower floor of the museum there are at least five rooms detailing the infantry through the years, but we only went to the first one about the first militias up until right before the Civil War. We also went to the Cavalry display, also fascinating. There was so much to see and hear, that after those two rooms, and being incredibly hungry, we left the rest for another visit. For lunch, we went to Country's Barbeque, a favorite place to eat while we are down there. We got home in time to welcome my sister who was able to drive across the state to visit for one full day and two nights. 

Wednesday we went for a walk in the morning and swimming at the Rec Center in the afternoon. The walk was on a long and twisting walking trail, and I saw so many leaves and flowers that I had never seen before. One of them was the kudzu flower, with its incredibly sweet fruity smell. We were pretty tired when we got home for lunch, but the kids bounced back quick enough to go to the pool for a few hours. My niece and I had a great time playing "being swept out to sea," and "exploring." After the local schools let out, a few other kids came to the pool. They all played separately for a little while, but then our boys invited the others to join them for a game of Sea-Serpent Tag. By the time we left, everybody having a grand time altogether. 

That night we played Apples to Apples, with all the kids. It was hilarious as my three-year-old niece would play cards that she couldn't read, but often worked really well. She just loved holding and handing out the cards. And it is one of Malcolm's favorite games because it can get so funny.

My sister and her kids had to leave Thursday morning. The rest of the day, we relaxed and played games. I think that was the day, we played some theater games with Aunt Anna, and Ticket to Ride with the boys. I played on Malcolm's team, and Eamon played on his own. I loved watching him use his logic and figure things out.

Friday, we went to the Little White House, where Thomas's mother works, then Warm Springs Pools, then a Fish Hatchery. The museum was fascinating to us grown-ups, but we took too long for the boys' preference. However they really enjoyed the walk with the state flags and a rock from each of the states. Since we are learning States and Capitals, I enjoyed watching them make some connections between what we are learning and what they saw. The Little White House and the other buildings around the grounds were fascinating. I especially liked the fully electric kitchen. After we toured the house, we had a picnic lunch where I got three huge bug bites that still itch two weeks later. The Warm Spring Pools had an interesting display on Polio and it's prevention. We were able to walk down to where the water flows into the pool area and stick our hands in the water. Compared to the day, the water 88 degree water was cool to the touch. Not only was it hot, the sun was so bright, all the white buildings were hard to look at for long.

The fish hatchery was just down the road. On the wooden walking trail/observation deck, we saw an alligator gar, lots of carp, some big gold fish, a long necked turtle and an actual alligator. We also saw several other turtles and a kingfisher (I think) as we walked around the other ponds. 

Friday night, one of Thomas's other sisters and her son came. It was so good to see them, and the boys played laser tag until they had to go to bed. In the morning on Saturday, we tried to get up early, and partially succeeded, to go on a hike at FDR State Park. We walked about a mile round trip, I think, which was just long enough for the younger members of our company, but had a lovely time chatting and being outside. It stayed cloudy for most of the morning, so it didn't get really hot until after we got back to the house. That day we also did some tourist/gift shop shopping.

We packed as much as we could on Saturday afternoon because we left around 8am on Sunday morning. The drive home was uneventful and we made an hour better time. However, we have decided that 17 hours in the car is still too much for one day. But we were home and that was good.