Day 2

From the report we got, it sounded like Day 2 was another fun filled day. Terry had to go into the office for a bit so Auntie Caroline was there to help. Millie slept in and took a big nap. GPC (Grandparent Camp) is tough stuff! In the afternoon the headed over to GG's house to hang out and meet the fabulously wonderful Bunny Feldman!

Mat and I got to webchat before our sushi date and Millie was laughing and having a good ole time.

Mat spent the day working while I did some alone shopping. It was so strange not to have to worry about having enough food, packing all the Millie gear up, wondering who was going to pick her up from daycare, etc. It was nice just to focus on myself! I didn't get much but it was a lovely afternoon. That evening Mat and I went on a date with Angel. We went to a new sushi place, RA, and had a great time and fabulous food! Our favorite roll was the Viva Las Vegas roll. It was filled with kani kama and cream cheese, is fried tempura style and topped with crab and a sliced lotus root. The lotus root is sweet and light and perfectly complements the spicy tuna and tempura batter. YUM!

Little ole me

I was trying to find a picture of Millie and I to post but after looking around, I realize I have hardly any! That stinks! Mat, can you do something about that? These pictures from last year will have to do.

Soooo, on to what I was really going to post about...After 3 months of bootcamp I can definitely tell a change in my body. I don't know how it is that I am still sore after every workout! And I can tell you that I haven't worked-out this hard in all my life. It is tough every.single.morning. But I keep going. I have to give big props to Mat for working late and waking early for Millie so I can do this each morning. I will continue with bootcamp until I am done with overnights (Sept 4) and then maybe keep going depending on my new work hours.

In the mean time, I signed up for the Columbus 1/2 Marathon again in October. Anyone want to do it with me? Mom, Cindy, Katie, Kari and I walked it last year. It was lots of fun. This year, I want to try and run it! I don't know if I will be able to but hopefully, with the proper training, I can make it!

Thanks for all of your continued support!

Day 1

Looks like a great time in NJ! Millie did well on the plane ride. She took a big nap and ate some Chinese food with the family!

Back in Atlanta, Mat and I went to brunch, did some errands, took a nap, and went to the movies for the first time in a long time! Too bad the movie was bad! We have all of Monday off together too! Can't wait! Enjoy the pictures!

We are back! (Sun-Tues)

It's been so long, I don't even know where to begin! We are back after 1 week of Millie at Grandparent Camp. And 1 week at the Jersey Shore! It was fabulous, fabulous, fabulous! Millie did great and loved the time with her family and friends. Vacation was wonderful and we loved every day!

I don't have the time or the energy to post my favorite pictures from each day. So I am just going to post the links to the pictures. Maybe soon I will pick and post my favorites. No promises! I will try and break them up so it's not so many at one time!

Sunday Pictures

Monday Pictures

Tuesday Pictures

And she's off!

Terry flew in on Friday and swept Millie up on Sunday. We had a nice weekend and even got to hang out with Jeevan. Click here to see those pictures. Terry and Millie left Sunday morning and landed safely in New Jersey. They had a nice evening with Andy & Jo Ellen, Dan & Caroline, Grandpa & Grandma T, and GG (Great Grandma Francis). Looks to be a great week for what we are now calling "Grand Parent Camp". They have promised me pictures so I can't wait to see what they have been up to!

In your thoughts

If you can take a little time to think about my parents this week. They are leaving this morning for Honduras on a mission trip with their church. They are going to be staying about an hour outside of Tegucigalpa. This will be the second trip for my mom but the first for my dad. My mom will be documenting the trip with her video camera. She is spending the week creating some sort of highlight reel of the churches accomplishments over the past 10 years. My dad will be doing some sort of manual labor along with all the others on the trip.

Have a great time guys and can't wait to see you when you return!

Also, keep Terry in your thoughts as she travels to Atlanta to pick up Millie for what we have named "Grandparent Camp". Terry flies in on Friday and flies out with our Millie on Sunday. Can't wait to see what fun the Tainow's get into in New Jersey! She has so many people to meet while she is there. Hopefully she can show off her walking skills. Caroline is helping out this week as well and Millie is sooooooo excited to get to spend some time with Auntie Caroline! We have the Tainow's set up with a webcam so we can hopefully chat with them and get the daily updates. I am going to secretly tuck a camera into Millie's bag in hopes to get a glimpse of the fun filled week!

New clothes

Grandma Terry sent Millie a package of all kinds of new clothes and here are some of them. This weekend we also bought her a pair of "hard" soled shoes. They have a little grip on the bottom and I think they are really good for learning to walk. Enjoy the pictures!

Also in this set of pictures are some pics of a cake store. Mat's close friend Jay's sister (Jodi) has a cake store in Asheville, NC. I stopped there on the way out of town for some Fathers Day cupcakes. Click here for Jodi's blog. The first entry there is about the coconut cake she was making the day I was there. She is very talented! I love the description of her blog "A blog about cake, Short Street Cakes, the Cake Shop, cupcakes, cake recipes, asheville, child rearing, urban homesteading, social and political justice, and spiritual practice. But mostly just cake." Maybe I need a catchy blog description! If you have any suggestions, please leave a comment!

Sural Wedding

On Friday, after a bit of sleep, I drove myself to Asheville, NC for a weekend away with some girlfriends. My high school friend Alison was getting married and I was so happy to be there. Asheville is such a great city. If you haven't been, you should totally go! It reminds me of Charleston but not on the water.

It was a great weekend with a reception party on Friday night. I knew some of Alison's friends from her later years but it was my high school girls I was most looking forward to seeing. Sonal, Marianne and Katie were there and it was so good to reconnect with each of them. Molly was graduating in AZ on Friday night and so she couldn't make it. And Renee is living in Africa and couldn't make it either. They will sorely missed!

On Saturday we all had breakfast and did a little shopping around the downtown area. We also hit out outdoor pool for a glorious afternoon! That evening we took the provided trolley to the wedding site. It was an outdoor wedding with an outdoor reception. Typical southern style wedding. The dancing was inside this fabulous stone building. It rained for just a bit but we were all under the tent. The wedding was beautiful and Alison was stunning. It was so great to see everyone again and I can't wait to see them all in the fall!

I have to thank some people for making this weekend possible. With no family in town, we have to rely on friends to help us out. On Thursday, our friend Meggan came over to help watch Millie while Mat and I worked. On Friday, Mat picked Millie up from daycare and Amanda came down and took Millie home with her. She had a little sleepover at her Auntie Mandi's house and seem to have a great time! We thank them both so much for helping us out this weekend. Click here to see pictures from the weekend.

Millie's first steps (Video)

the video is in HD so click here to see it:

Father's Day

We really enjoyed the day with Mat on his first Father's Day. Millie got him a couple gifts and herself one too. A little pool! Millie and Mat splashed around and had a great time. But the most precious gift was her first steps! Click here for that blog entry!

In my opinion, Mat is such a great Dad to Millie. He gets up with her each morning. Plays with her. Feeds her breakfast. Gets her dressed. Takes her to daycare. He spends any free time he can with her. He is such a loving and caring Dad. He is protective and wants only the best for his little girl. It makes me so happy to see them together. Millie literally lights up when he comes into the room. I am lucky to have him as a partner.

Millie made Mat a book to read to her. It is filled with pictures of Mat and Millie. Here is the poem that is written in Millie's book.

A little girl needs Daddy
For many, many things:
Like holding her high off the ground
Where the sunlight sings!

Like being the deep music
That tells her all is right
When she awakens frantic with
The terrors of the night.

Like being the great mountain
That rises in her heart
And shows her how she might get home
When all else falls apart.

Like giving her the love
That is her sea and air,
So diving deep or soaring high
She'll always find him there.

To see pictures from the day, click here.

Waiting for Daddy...

After daycare today, we waited for Mat outside in the front yard. Millie played while I watered my beautiful window boxes. We had a good time with the bells from Grandma Terry. I took some pictures that you can see here. But take a look at this progression as she sees Mat pulling up to the house.

Mommy and Me (videos and pictures)

Remember those meetings I went to so long ago? Well we came back to show new Mommy Katie the ropes! Millie got to see all of her friends. Anna, Reece, Nate, Madeline, Sedona, Meagan and Ben were all there! Pluse Katie and Meagan got to see what fun these meetings can be. Here are some videos and click here for pictures.

Mil and Jee

On Saturday we hung out with with the Navarros. Jeevan is getting so big, actually he is heavier than Millie! Jeevan is sitting up really well and is starting to do an army crawl. He is drooling all over the place and cutting some teeth. Look at those lashes!
Click here to see the rest of the pictures.

Caroline

I am kinda going in backwards order of our weekend but on Sunday we got to meet little Caroline Thaiss. She is 6 months old and her parents are good friends of ours. She is a skinny little thing and so tall! I took some precious pictures of her and here are my favorites. If you would like to see the rest of the pictures, click here.

Our little von Trapp girl

Click here to see more pictures from Sunday.

Our country girl goes shopping (2 videos)

Our country bumpkin

On her way to pick up some eggs before she goes to milk the cows!

I am SUCH a great day today!!! My alarm goes off (4pm) and I am lying in bed. I am thinking...am I supposed to pick Millie up from daycare? Or is Mat? It was starting to thunder so I am thinking...driving in the rain is going to be a pain. Maybe I should leave now so I can get back quickly. Etc etc. So I am just laying there thinking of everything I need to do. And I hear the front door open.

And up the stairs comes Mat and Millie! It was so great to see them! He had picked her up and were home before the rain poured down! Perfect timing! So we all watch the rain come down and Millie took a little nap while Mat and I got to catch up a little bit.

After Millie woke up, we went outside for a bit to swing. After getting swarmed by mosquitoes, we headed back inside. We played around downstairs. We web chatted with Grandpa "Captain" Jon. We had a wonderful dinner. We had bath and bedtime and then I was off to work. It was a lovely day with the family. I am looking forward to the weekend!

Hope you enjoy some random videos from tonight.

Bye Bye Papa D

We were sad to see my dad leave today. As one last surprise, upon my mom's request, my dad planted and hung all of my window boxes. That included cleaning out all the gunk plants from last year. I pulled into my house, saw the window boxes, and just started crying. I really love my window boxes and just didn't have the time to put them together this year and I am so grateful to have wonderful parents. The swing was alot of work and we really really love it. But in addition to that, we cleaned the gutters, cut and hung our old stained glass door/window, installed the baby gate, cleaned out the fridge, mowed the lawn, Dad waited 3 hours at Kaufman Tire to find out what's up with a tire on our car, etc etc etc. I couldn't have done any of this without him here.

I just feel like I (Mat and I) can't get anything done on this overnight shift! We are both under alot of stress and it was just so nice to have Dad here to help get some things done. Seriously, how do you keep thanking your parents time and time again?






Check out my lovely flowers! I promise to keep them watered Mom!!

It's swing time!

Check out what we built!! This has been a work in progress. It started with my dad's sketches and here it is all finished! We had a great time building it and I was happy to help. I even got to use an auger to dig four 3 foot holes! I felt like quite the power woman! It was great fun and I think Millie thinks so too. I absolutely love the way it turned out. Click here to see the work in progress.

pictures from the weekend

Click here to see some pictures from the weekend with Papa D.

E11 write up!

Great write up about Engine 11! Here is the link. Congrats boys!

NEIGHBORHOOD NOSH
Engine 11 Firehouse Tavern
30 North Ave. N.W., Atlanta 404-873-3473

By BOB TOWNSEND
For the AJC
Wednesday, June 10, 2009

This restaurant opened in late 2008, taking over the circa 1909 firehouse building on North Avenue that had been made over into a deluxe, British-style pub dubbed the Spotted Dog. The new proprietors, Mat “Quickie” Tainow and Jose Navarro, own Sidebar on Poplar Street, where they managed to turn a tucked-away alley location into a popular downtown watering hole.

Terry’s meatloaf, named in honor of co-owner Mat Tainow’s mother, is a combination of beef and pork slathered in barbecue sauce and served with a heap of Parmesan mashed potatoes.

Firehouse valet

The biggest challenge for the Spotted Dog was an acute lack of parking. Tainow and Navarro have gone a long way toward remedying that situation by providing complimentary valet service after 5 p.m. The front patio, appointed with picnic tables and umbrellas, has become a busy lunch and after-work destination. Inside, there are a few subtle changes. The bar area has been opened up, and the pub theme has been toned down. But the high ceilings, exquisite tile floors, and dark wood and brass accents still come together to create an atmosphere that’s solid and comfortable. Upstairs — where you must venture to find the restrooms — there’s a large room for private parties and events.

Ma’s meatloaf

The concise menu is mostly takes on contemporary pub grub, including the hefty Engine Burger, topped with bacon, cheddar, and onion straws, beef or chicken sliders on King’s Hawaiian rolls, and wings. But Terry’s Meatloaf (named in honor of Tainow’s mother) has become the tavern’s signature dish. It’s a juicy blend of beef and pork, topped with sweet barbecue sauce and served with gooey Parmesan mashed potatoes. Less impressive is a priced-right ($12.49 with one side) but rather anemic skirt steak that can be kicked up a bit with a choice of blue cheese, chimichurri or queso sauce. Other interesting offerings can be found on a supplemental menu that changes every few weeks. Recently, “in celebration of warm weather,” it was a selection of Mediterranean dishes, including tasty red pepper hummus with crispy pita chips, and tilapia smothered in a tangy blend of feta cheese, kalamata olives and pepperoncini.

Drink up, party down

Engine 11 features team trivia on Mondays, poker on Tuesdays and drink specials every night, including $2 house lagers and $5 Ketel One, with $2 house wines on Thursdays. The beer list has 16 draft and 16 bottled beers, with the usual Newcastle and Guinness, plus a few high gravity offerings, such as Flying Dog Double Dog Ale.


Signature dish: Meatloaf and Parmesan mashed potatoes
Entree prices: $7.95-$13.49
Hours: 11 a.m.-midnight Monday-Thursdays; 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Fridays; noon-2 a.m. Saturdays; 12:30 p.m.- midnight Sundays. Valet parking after 5 p.m.
Reservations: For large parties
Credit cards: Yes
Online: www.engine11atl.com

Pool time videos (2 of them)

Pool time

On Sunday we hit Virgina Highland Summerfest and then to the pool! We were at the McKoy Pool in Decatur...well, Kirkwood actually. Jackie told us about it and said we must go! It's a great toddler/kid pool. No deeper than 4 feet I believe. And it's very shaded with these big umbrellas. Love it! We will be going back for sure!











It was Millie's first time in the pool and she was a little scared at first. But after awhile she started crawling around and floating. Mat even took her for a dunk and she didn't seem to mind! Hopefully the more we go, the more she will enjoy it! We are getting ready for the beach!

As you can see here, Vince is a pro and will show Millie the ropes for sure!

Dad made his way into town on Thursdays night. We had plans to build a swing in the back yard but Dad had a knee surgery on Wednesday so we didn't want to do anything too stressful. So day 1 & 2, we just chilled and hung out. I am still working overnights so I slept alot the first couple days of dad's visit.

You can kinda see in this pictures that Millie is really starting to point at everything. She doesn't point at people yet but I am sure it's just around the corner!

Papa D

We are having a great time with Papa D! Can't wait to tell you all about it!
Did someone say swingset?

More Ellie/Millie's pictures

Here are some more pictures from Kathryn, Ellie's mom. It's tough getting two 10 month olds to sit still and smile!