We spent our day today at kiddie friendly celebrations around Charlotte, starting with the Earth Day festival in Indian Trail, one of the towns I cover for the paper. We broke for lunch and took naps, then moved on to the annual Hawkfest party at Josh's school. It rained most of the time we were there so we didn't bring the camera, but the kids tried out most of the inflatable rides, the "Fun Bus" and the "slammer," in which Josh won a glow-in-the-dark bracelet for hitting it hard enough to ring the bell. They were soaked and filthy by the time we walked home, but a good time was had by all.
I took the kids through the civic building where the Indian Trail town council meets; a room where I have spent countless hours over the past seven years covering meetings. I have been writing about this town much longer than any elected official there has been in office and almost all town employees have worked there. That's either commendable or crazy.
This picture is notable not because Molly is doing her best not to look at the camera, but because it illustrates a sadly significant moment in my reporting life. After six years of sitting in a metal folding chair at meetings that could last five or six hours (and I was pregnant for nine months of that), the town bought chairs with padded seats. Believe me, it was reason to celebrate.
Here's what's been going on this April. And sit down, there's a lot!
Chris and I went to Asheville on April 1 to celebrate our 10th anniversary. Mom and Dad stayed in Charlotte with the kids, and we enjoyed two days of remembering what life was like before kids (i.e. going out to dinner and sleeping in).
We came home in time to dye Easter eggs with the kids and enjoy the spring weather, which finally arrived after a very cold winter.
Josh was very excited when his new Silly Bandz bracelets, the latest fad amongst the elementary school set, arrived in the mail.
Josh's dietary restrictions make Easter candy off limits, so we celebrated Easter morning with gluten-free cupcakes instead. In retrospect, pumping the kids full of sugar on Easter morning probably wasn't the best idea.
Mom and Dad went to church with us Easter morning, and the kids were their usual uncooperative selves in posing for pictures.
The kids hunted for Easter eggs after church, and then Mom, Dad, the kids and I drove to Florida for spring break.
In Florida, we took the kids back to the Butterfly Rainforest and then to a teaching zoo at the local community college, which apparently is the only of its kind in the U.S. Our tour guide was a zoology student, and she got a workout from Josh, who asked her the age and country of origin (among other things) about almost every animal. It was an execise in patience for her!
Finally, we drove to the panhandle on Friday to spend the weekend with my grandmother. Amy brought the twins over for the day on Saturday, and we walked out to the catfish pond to feed the fish.
We spent our day today at kiddie friendly celebrations around Charlotte, starting with the Earth Day festival in Indian Trail, one of the towns I cover for the paper. We broke for lunch and took naps, then moved on to the annual Hawkfest party at Josh's school. It rained most of the time we were there so we didn't bring the camera, but the kids tried out most of the inflatable rides, the "Fun Bus" and the "slammer," in which Josh won a glow-in-the-dark bracelet for hitting it hard enough to ring the bell. They were soaked and filthy by the time we walked home, but a good time was had by all.
I took the kids through the civic building where the Indian Trail town council meets; a room where I have spent countless hours over the past seven years covering meetings. I have been writing about this town much longer than any elected official there has been in office and almost all town employees have worked there. That's either commendable or crazy.
This picture is notable not because Molly is doing her best not to look at the camera, but because it illustrates a sadly significant moment in my reporting life. After six years of sitting in a metal folding chair at meetings that could last five or six hours (and I was pregnant for nine months of that), the town bought chairs with padded seats. Believe me, it was reason to celebrate.
