UNNECESSARY ZOOM!!!

Tummy time is no longer the enemy

Boy, once Peter figured out how to roll from back to front, he started really liking tummy time. Here are some glamor shots of tummy time. CJ likes to do tummy time with him, but she gets bored pretty quickly.

Floodapalooza

Our beloved Franklin and Nashville are under water, but thankfully, waters are receding. Also thankfully, our house is fine. Our rocky patch of Tennessee land is nicely sloped; so, aside from small ponds that drained quickly, we had no collected water.

We have never seen rain like this. Sure, we have seen heavy, short bursts before, but never like this. We sustained heavy downpours, interrupted periodically by steady rain. The rain came for two straight days, and came from four different directions, including sustained blows from the east. The storm included tornado warnings on and off all day on Saturday. At one point, South Carothers (the main road leading into our neighborhood) flooded both north and south of Cannonwood (our neighborhood), blocking us in.

By Monday morning, the sun came out, but the flood waters on the major rivers continued to rise. The Cumberland River did not crest until Monday night. Luckily, the Baker Donelson Center (where I work) did not flood, but it has lost power. However, a lot of Nashville and Franklin remains underwater, even tonight. Both the Harpeth River (in Franklin) and Cumberland overflowed and have wreaked havoc.

Check the pictures below. This is unreal.


Downtown Nashville.


The Grand Ole Opry is flooded.


LP Field (where the Tennessee Titans play) is under water.


The water made it to the steps of the Country Music Hall of Fame.


All of the magnificent lobbies of the Opryland Hotel are under about 8 feet of water.


The Cumberland River is still above flood stage.


Yikes.

Caught on film -- the playroom gremlin!

A special hidden camera was used to identify the culprit responsible for dumping out every container in the play room at least three times a day. Here it is -- the playroom gremlin!



Now we need to design a trap to capture it. Is there a reeducation camp for playroom gremlins?

Peter is on the move

Peter's mobility took a big step (well, a big roll anyway) forward today:

Working hard on his (exersaucer) farm

Peter's best side?

Ever since Peter discovered the joys of chomping on his toes, this is all we see of him:



Peek a boo!

Ghetto-fabulous fire pit

Want a fire pit in your backyard but are too lazy to do anything more than form a circle with big rocks stolen from another part of your cruddy landscaping? Then you're in luck! Corey's fire pit design firm (as yet unnamed -- suggestions welcome) is at your service. Here are some photos of his handiwork:

A whole new world

Ready...



Set...



RICE CEREAL!!!



Hmph. Not everything I hoped and dreamed.



(The second attempt went much better. He actually finished the first batch I made him so I mixed up some more. He slurped that down but I was too afraid to feed him much more. Good boy!)

Seeking solace at the zoo

After saying goodbye to Zoey the day before, we went to the zoo to take our minds off our troubles.

Charlotte the safari explorer spotted many cool animals...



... including this giraffe who mooned us.



CJ could have watched the giraffes forever, but my arms got tired.



Peter had an al fresco diaper change in the stroller. Oh, the indignity!



Meercats!!! These Tennessee meercats sure are chubby compared to their African cousins.



Those two meercats are pretty funny-looking.



CJ paid a visit to her goat buddies, but she didn't try to accessorize them this time.

Goodbye Zoey, Joslyne, and Demetri

I'm still in denial about the recent tragic turn of events that is ripping apart the dynamic duo of Charlotte and Zoey when her family moves to Boston. We spent yesterday morning at their house. While Corey and Demetri loaded some furniture up into one of those Pod things, CJ, Peter, and I helped Joslyne and Zoey man their yard sale. The girls had a ridiculous amount of fun in the mostly empty Pod, and then we had a dance party in the driveway just for fun. After a little pizza for lunch, we hugged Zoey goodbye (we will be seeing Joslyne and Demetri a few more times before they officially move) and drove away in stunned silence. I'm not ready yet to put my despair into words, but after seeing CJ and Zozo together yesterday for the last time I felt like I was punched in the gut.

Charlie Jo and I have a little routine that we always go through when we're cuddling before bedtime or on the couch with little Peter. I ask her, "who's Mommy's girl?" She whispers in response, "Charlotte!" I then ask, "who's your best friend?" She replies, "Zoey!" or "Zoey and Madison!" (depending on her mood and/or who was at the most recent play date). CJ isn't really old enough to form permanent memories, but maybe if I show her enough old pictures and videos of their adventures together and keep Zoey in this routine, she just might remember. I know I'll never forget.






Here's a special art project from Zoey's last playgroup meeting that we framed for Zoey's new room in Boston:



Oh man - the tears are starting to fall.

Two peas in a pod (well, a tent anyway)