Mississippi Trip

We are enjoying our first expanded Spring Break this year!

 

We have one week off, then the potential for a second week off, depending on the number of snow days we have.  But a week and a half is awesome, and we're taking full advantage of it.

 

We went to Mississippi to visit family for a few days.

 

I met up with old friends for a great lunch, we met up with a former teacher of ours and went on a 101 visit, and we spent some quality time with family.

 

David and Thomas at Old Venice

 

 

Carolyn and Brennan at Old Venice

 

We also went to a new coffee shop downtown that relatives of friends just opened.  It is gorgeous!

 

When you first walk in, this is the stunning wall that greets you.

I absolutely loved it and said to David - wow - we need a wall like this.

Thomas came running up and said he wanted all of his walls done like this in his room.

 

Thomas and I got closer and realized - it was BAKING SHEETS!  Oil burned onto them and glued onto the wall.  Gorgeous, and looked so great with the brick work.

 

Thomas's photo of a wall with arrow leading downstairs to more seating.

 

David was the first to notice that the front wall was a garage door, so it can be opened in beautiful weather.

 

Brennan got a decaf espresso.  He LOVES coffee.

 

The cousins played in the backyard for a very long time together.

Thomas made up some sort of war/economic domination game where everyone had to be a country and set up your natural resources in your corner of the yard (Grandma's gardening hose, lawn chair, watering can, etc).  Taylor and Ellie ended up teaming up (in an effort to end the interminable game, I presume), and then Brennan took over the girls' "One-D Land" ("One Direction Land" of course), so he could then overpower Thomas's "Minecraftia".  Sadly they got called inside before they could actually finish the game, but Brennan declared himself the winner.

 

 

In the fig tree



 

We had a great visit, but were sad to miss my family who was either stuck in school (sad that we don't have coordinated spring breaks) or traveling overseas.

 

Now, to re-pack because we're off for Virginia later tonight!



Thomas Updates

Well, at 12  2/3, this kid is growing up fast.

 

It's hard to believe but this time next year we will have already been through the high school open houses and will have applied to the high school of his choice.

 

Oh my goodness.

 

 

Here we are on my birthday, at The Taste of Chocolate event.

Thomas volunteered time to help with set up, clean up, and serving yummy treats with me.

 

As you can tell by this photo, he's just about my height.

According to recent doctor's visits, he's got 1/4 inch to go.

 

This night at the mall his classmate's mom let me know that her daughter, Lydia, had asked Thomas to the upcoming school dance.  I was slightly stunned because I didn't know about the dance and he hadn't mentioned being invited!

 

It turns out they found out about the dance in 4th period that day, and then 10 minutes later she asked him in the lunch line - so he didn't have time to process it or find out any particulars.

 

It was after school and David picked Thomas and Lydia up at the dance end, and drove Lydia home.  Thomas opened the backseat door for her.  And David didn't prompt him.  Soooo sweet.

 

And no.  Lydia and Thomas are not "dating", "going together", "boyfriend/girlfriend", etc.

Just friends.

 

 

But this is the photo that shows just how big he's getting.

 

Unbelievable....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thomas had some dark hairs above his lip that I've been seeing for months, but he and David finally saw them.  After tennis today David took Thomas to buy his own razor and shaving cream, then they came home to shave.

 

 

Unbelievable.

 

 

 

 

Wow, time flies.