Julie's away...the boys will play.

6:35 a.m. - Well this is it. Julie's big weekend away to the Big Apple. It seems to have started innocently enough except for the fact that I had to wake up at 4:30 this morning. Julie didn't wake me but I felt compelled to get up and make her a cup of coffee. Jackson was already awake and watching the tele' in the sunroom. As it turned out, I was too late to in the coffee making duties because Julie's ride arrived right on schedule at 5:00 a.m. and after a short goodbye she was gone. All we heard from her was the "hell yeah baby!!" on the way down the street. So Jackson and I watched Eli Stone on the DVR and began our morning of planning for the weekend. (Sidenote: if you haven't watched Eli Stone yet, treat yourself to it.) So what's on tap for the weekend you ask? I'm still not sure but I am determined to do something other than sit around the house.

11:07 a.m. - My first attempt at getting the boys out of the house fell far short of expectations. I began by researching the Brunswick Stewbilee held in downtown today. Sounded like fun, kids activities, street fair, dog show,and of course the best part the stew tasting competition. I prepared the boys by feeding them breakfast first. Maybe I should say prepared them breakfast. Jackson ate a small portion of his eggs and toast, Nathan greeted his plate of eggs and toast with laughter and spent most of the breakfast time out of his chair. Eventually I gave up trying to make him eat and let him run around. Next, I got a bag with diapers, wipes, and the all important camera and placed it on the counter in the kitchen while getting the boys ready to go. We finally hustled out the door by 9:15 so we could make it down to the park in time to watch the dog show. We caught the last part of it from the car as we were looking for parking. After putting Nathan in the stroller, I realized that I had left bag with the diapers and camera sitting on the kitchen counter. Great planning, poor execution. Walking down to the park, I caught the smell of all of the Brunswick stew cooking. Mmmmm..Mmmmmm...good. I knew I could count on a good lunch down here. What I didn't count on however, was the weather. Overcast and misty turned into dark clouds and rain. Nathan was getting soaked even though I brought umbrellas. Back to the car for plan two. On the way home, I made a short trip to Blockbuster for a PSP game for Jackson. Time to feed the boys lunch and think of a plan two.

7:25 p.m. - What a rebound!! After getting the kids home and fed. I attempted to put Nathan down for a noon time nap. Somewhere around 1:15 p.m. I was rudely awakened from my cat nap with Nathan screaming "outside dada outside!!" Truth be told he never slept and wasn't about to. So I jumped up and checked the weather outside. To my complete surprise it was beautiful! Sunny skies, 74 degrees. Time for Plan 2. I loaded the kids in the car, along with the diaper bag and camera, and headed down the highway to St. Augustine. We got from Exit 38 to Exit 14 before I could take no more. Nathan was screaming the entire time that he wanted to go outside and wanted some apple juice. Time for a U-Turn and Plan 3. Jackson said "Dad, where are we going now??" How about Jekyll Island? Jackson was less than thrilled with the idea. I stopped for gas, drinks, and snacks for the boys and suddenly everyone was in a great mood. Once we got to Jekyll, I drove over to the huge playground and let the boys have at it. Nathan got plenty of "outside" time and Jackson had a ball playing Indiana Jones. I even managed to get a few shots of the boys playing. Nathan and I shared some good father son time on the swing. We had a good conversation. I think it went something like this..."Nathan, are you having a good time?" Followed by Nathan's response..."Dada, weeeeeeeeee!!!" Awesome!!

Once we left and made it home, it was time to fix a fine dinner of Macaroni & Cheese, pineapple, and Chicken Strips for the boys and a bowl of Cream of Wheat for me. As I write this, Nathan is fast asleep in bed, Jackson is in the sunroom writing in his diary and I am watching the end of the Michigan v. Penn State football game. What a day! I survived day one with all parts intact. I can't really say the same for Julie's car however. Nathan kind of had his way with the Cheese Nips I gave him for a snack. Hope Julie's having a good time, she's got some cleaning up to do when she gets back. Haha. Of course I am kidding! Looking forward to what tomorrow brings. I am actually toying with the idea of taking the boys down to St. Augustine tomorrow. We'll see.