Adventures in Atlanta

Since we moved up here to Atlanta, we have been itching to show the kids around the town.  Jason especially has been talking up all the exciting things we can do in the big city.  So last weekend we all piled into the van and headed downtown. 
Jack was in awe of the big buildings and would call out the shapes he saw on top of the tallest ones.  Now when I ask him to go with me somewhere he will ask if we can go by the "building with the triangle on top" or some other shape that he remembers seeing during our drive through downtown.  Allison was asking a million questions, attempting to wrap her head around what we were doing, where we were going, what was expected.  She gets a bit anxious and we reassured her that indeed this would be a fun day.
Our first stop was the Georgia Aquarium.  We had not been there since Allison was about three months old and she spent the day wide eyed and mouth agape at all the fish.  Turns out not much has changed in the last five years.

Jack was a little nervous to get close to the glass, which to his defense was a bit surreal.  You definitely feel like you are one inch away to being submerged with all the fish.

Allison needed an activity, something to keep her mind off the overwhelming sensory experience.  Thankfully the aquarium delivered with the fish card.  Essentially it is a look and find for all the different types of fish.  She loved it, and became less scared of the sharks and more excited about identifying grouper, sawfish, whale sharks and the rest.

During the dive show in front of the big tank, Allison raised her hand to ask a question.  We screened her question first, and approving of it, allowed her to ask it in front of the large crowd.  She was so confident and mature as she asked, "Why do the fish and shark tails go side to side and dolphin tails go up and down?"  I surely did not know the answer and neither did the gentlemen fielding the questions.  Referring to the diver who was on an underwater microphone, the expert was able to answer.  Turns out that mammal tails go up and down and fish go side to side.  It is a way to tell species apart.  I must admit I got teary with pride at the observation skills and intellect to ask such a good question of my little girl.   I definitely learned a new scientific fact that day. 

There are lots of crawl spaces and tunnels throughout the aquarium for the little ones to explore and get behind, in and go through the exhibits.  I went with them several times and had to swallow a bit of panic when trapped between throngs of children under the penguins.  Not my favorite, but with focus on the faces of my kids I was able to somewhat enjoy the experience.  Some of the crawl spaces were more forgiving and I was able to sit back and enjoy my children taking in what is certainly an awe inspiring underwater world.

Of course they wanted to stay the longest with the piranhas.  Little do they know what those fish are capable of.  Allison also got hold of the camera and I do believe I have a budding photographer on my hands.  There were over 148 pictures of fish and other scenes on the camera that were sorted through.  Some of them are actually quite good...like 5 or 6 of them. 

Next it was on to the World of Coke.  My family is full of Coca Cola drinkers.  There is never a Pepsi in sight.  I drink the real, full sugar kind preferring a good fountain Cherry Coke or a can of Vanilla Coke.   I like Coca Cola memorabilia and the museum has lots to offer in that regard.  My dad used to work for Coke and we would sport "Coke is It" shirts frequently.  I can't help but think those ratty shirts would be considered vintage now.

The characters that Coke brings out are animated better than any Disney character.  This polar bear was hilarious and could change his expressions and interact with us.  The kids were a bit scared of him due to his size, but he was definitely Mimi's favorite and got some genuine laughs from the adults.  Can you spy Emma in the picture?  Yep, she was there too!

Allison got to hold a real Olympic torch.  I thought that it was so cool!

This cheerleader is a character from their Super bowl ad.  She was funny too.  I think Coke has marketing geniuses.  

The finale was tasting Coke products from around the world.  It is definitely the highlight for me personally and we let the kids try them all too.  Now, they have had Sprite on special occasions but never the caramel colored stuff.  Allison dove right in and her favorite was the one that "tasted like marshmallows" i.e. Vanilla Coke.  Girl after my own heart!  The tastings rocked Jack's world.  His favorites were actually from Africa so we will be needing to make trips over there to ship back cases of that yellow soda.  He reacted to that sugar and carbonation hitting his bloodstream like a crazy man.  He was talking a mile a minute and jumping and dancing around.  He left with a soda mustache and a huge smile on his face. 

Our initial adventure in Atlanta was a huge success.  The kids had a wonderful day and we got to have a fun family experience. 

Can we call it sledding?

Our cousins, The Ponders, came from Birmingham for a quick morning visit.  Liza Jane and Martha had received some pretty sweet sledding discs for Christmas from their grandparents.  They had brought them to see if they would work on grass in addition to snow and wouldn't you know that they did!  The kids had a blast dragging, pushing and sliding each other down the hill.  Liza Jane and Martha were both gracious with their gifts, sharing their new toys with their cousins.  All four of them had a great time sledding and got up some speed going down the hill.  There were a few wipeout spills too, but everyone got up smiling and just dragged the disc back up the hill for another run.

Christmas in Tuscaloosa

Now that we live outside Atlanta, the trip to Granny's house is significantly shorter.  We enjoyed the short three and half hour car ride over the state line into Tuscaloosa.  This was the first time we had been to T-town since the tornado destroyed a chunk of the city.  It was dumbfounding to see the destruction that still remains and the vast openness that the tornado left behind.  It is one thing to see it on the news, but to see the gash it tore in person leaves me speechless and profoundly sad for those who are attempting to recover. 
After we drove through town, we arrived out at Lake Tuscaloosa at Granny and Grandpa's house.  We were greeted by  Uncle Joe and Aunt Brandi, Auntie Anne and Aunt Sybil as well.  We opened gifts and enjoyed being together out at the lake.  My mom and her husband built a house next door to my grandparent's lake house.  The activities my children are doing at Granny's house are similar to the ones I remember doing myself when I went to Grandmommy and Grandaddy's house. It is a bit surreal to watch my children throw rocks in the lake, dig in the dirt and run down the hill knowing that they are creating solid experiences that they will draw on later in their life.  The memories of rolling down the hill and skipping rocks came like waves to the forefront of my mind.  I just stood back and watched.  My children who are surrounded by electronics and are growing up in an age of instant gratification could still make a game out of throwing berries into the lake that lasted for close to an hour.

 Allison has a singing Justin Beiber toothbrush thanks to Auntie Anne and Aunt Laura.  She now loves to brush her teeth and we have a nightly dance party in the bathroom to two minutes of "Baby, OH!"

Granny getting some cuddle time with sweet, sleepy Emma.

 Geared up and bundled for the first walk down to the lake.  Two things are guaranteed:  that the kids come back with dirty knees and that the dog jumps in the lake.

 Sometimes they do show love for each other, we are saving this one for the record books!

Pretty sure there is a picture of me in a picture album somewhere doing this exact pose on this exact rock.  The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

 Picking berries for our throwing contest.

 Look at that form!

 Allison was the judge and everyone except her had to participate.  Farthest toss won.

 Told you it was a guarantee.  That dog will swim in 20 degree water any day.

The kids with Mimi, we were so glad that she came along for the trip!

Rock and leaf collecting is an excellent past time out at the lake.  There are lots to pick from and you usually have on a jacket or sweatshirt with pockets to accommodate quite a collection.

I realize looking back that I did a very poor job of photographing the kids with their grandparents, aunts and uncle.  I need to improve on this as well as getting pictures with me and their Dad so they will remember what we looked like way back when.  While out at the point I did manage to grab them for a few self portraits.

Christmas Celebrations!

Christmas morning began with Jason and I watching Jack creep down the stairs in his footed pajamas.  He is three this year and really got caught up in the wonder of Christmas.  He was creeping quietly one stair at a time peering through the spindles of the staircase at the multitude of gifts!  We got to spend a few minutes with him investigating the gifts that Santa brought before Allison come barreling up the stairs from her sleepover at "Mimi's house" in the basement.  We had a full house of guests and we made sure everyone assumed their places on the couches before gifts were opened.  Emma got the privilege of staying asleep. 

Allison and Jack looking at their gifts and Emma's too!

After all the gifts upstairs were opened, we headed down to Mimi's for another round of gift opening.

Aunt Nessa opening gifts with Uncle Cory.

Mimi with her Menorah making kit to celebrate her retirement from the JCA (Jewish Community Alliance) in Jacksonville.

Jack's favorite gift was his "Lightning McQueen Race Track".  He spent hours on Christmas Day gassing up the cars and racing them around the track.  We even found him laying in the middle of the track just soaking it all in.  We had to convince him to open more gifts, only to have him abandon the pile to race cars again.

Allison's favorite gift was her 3DS.   She loves playing all the games and figures most of them out all on her own.  She also is enjoying her easel from Santa which she set up in front of her bedroom window.  She selected that location so that she can "paint the world from her window".   She also spent hours coloring her playhouse that Aunt Nessa and Uncle Cory gave her.  She stated that that gift was her favorite as well.

Emma woke up after most of the festivities were completed, so she got undivided attention as she was assisted in opening all of her Christmas gifts.  I think she may have planned it that way!

After the gifts were opened we had a Christmas brunch of casserole, sausage rolls and cinnamon rolls.  I had made a Christmas Eve dinner so that there would be plenty of people to help eat the leftovers on Christmas day.  For lunch it was ham sandwiches and for dinner a repeat of the night before.  Most of the pictures that were taken are blurry because the kids were in perpetual motion the entire day.  I did take plenty of video which will be entertaining to show them a few years from now with their initial reactions and fascination with the gifts they opened.  The entire weekend was fun and family filled!                                 
Merry Christmas!

Chaloupek Family Traditions

There are several family traditions that we celebrate during the Christmas season.  Some are fun, some are corny and some are just important to me or Jason so we do them.  Allison really caught on to the word tradition and the fact that we do the same things each year.  So now we have some new "Chaloupek family traditions" including kid performances on the karaoke machine, jamming on the kid guitar and writing down the dialogue and lyrics of a favorite movie for later performance...  All these new traditions are joyful in and of themselves, but these are a few of our real traditions and some of my favorites of the season.

Thanks to our Jacksonville neighbors, we got a picture with Santa this year!  Santa comes to their annual Christmas party so we got to avoid the long mall lines this year!

A silly family photo with a Christmas theme.  New for this year, but I think I will continue this!  So fun!

Placing the star on the tree.  This year it was Jack's turn.  It was his first time placing the final decoration on the tree.  He was so proud!

Making Christmas cookies for Santa.  Aunt Nessa and Uncle Cory were in town and got to help in every step of developing the perfect sugar cookies to leave out for Santa!

 Aunt Nessa and Uncle Cory also brought a gingerbread house with them to decorate with the kids.  We usually do this around Thanksgiving, but with them spending turkey day in New York and our move we saved it for Christmas Eve. 

Papa Tuck came in early on Christmas Eve, so he was in charge of spreading the icing.  He had lots of stories to tell and the kids enjoyed having him around.

The finished product!  Both Allison's and Jack's visions were realized in the completed gingerbread house.  This was our centerpiece for three weeks after Christmas until the candy pieces started dive bombing off of the roof.

Reading "The Night Before Christmas" is a tradition from my childhood that is continued today even though we are adults.  Now, I read it on Christmas Eve to my children. 

And finally setting out the cookies and milk for Santa!  A perfect end to a perfect Christmas Eve Day! After the stockings are hung by the chimney with care and the cookies and milk are all prepared, it is off to bed for the little nose pickers who hope for a big haul of gifts when they come downstairs!

Christmas Ornaments

Well, we made it through the holiday season and had a pretty good time while we were at it.  We moved, got unpacked (well mostly) and had just enough time to buy gifts and get them under the tree.  Santa helped with the rest and we had a wonderful Christmas.  It is our Christmas Eve tradition to give ornaments that symbolize the year.

For Allison, a ballerina after a recital since she was so beautiful this year on stage.  She has decided that she wants to take ballet again! 

For Jack, a little soccer boy since he was a superstar on his soccer team this year.  He loved playing soccer and scored over 30 goals by our count!  Hopefully he will continue to show love for sports!

For me, Jason selected an ornament documenting the birth of our third child.  With everything that has changed and happened this year, our children are the most important things in our lives!

Emma got an ornament with her picture on it and her birth statistics on the back.  For Jason, I had an ornament made with the kids picture and the year on the back.  These babies are our joy and love.  I also gave him the "Love" ornament.  Through the ups and downs and chaos of this year, it is LOVE that drives us and him and all of our decisions.  And if we have love, the rest of the stuff doesn't matter. 

Merry Christmas!

 

 ¹⁰And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

 ¹¹For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  

                                                                                                                                       Luke 2:10-12

During this Christmas season I have not necessarily been the most festive of persons.  I have lamented the shopping, preparations, and sheer expectation to be happy just because it is Christmas.  To my defense I have given birth, left my job, moved to a new city and set up a rental home all in the last two months.  These are not the times in which effervescent joy exudes from my pores.  I have been stressed and have taken it out on my children, my husband and myself.  However today I am humbled.  As I awake on Christmas morning I am humbled by my blessings.  I deserve none of this.  I am able to have this life and all these wonderful experiences and joyful moments because Jesus was born and ultimately died for me.
I am confronted this morning with my human selfishness.  I am surrounded by family and food and wonderful gifts of material things.  How can I not be thankful?  How can I look at my sweet sleeping baby with her perfect round cheeks and sweet breath and not be profoundly humbled at God's grace?  Yet still I look and expect more.  I pray fervently for miracles and await the news of God's hand in our everyday life.
There are people today with plenty of money and material things who are experiencing heartache.  The new parents whose child is in the NICU, the widower that is having his first Christmas without his wife, the friend whose mother is sick and may not live to see the Christmas sunset.  I do not fault them for feeling sad, morose or downright bitter about Christmas this year.  However, these same people are exclaiming the love of God and the miracle of Christmas.  There is peace and even joy in their experiences as they feel God's comfort and see the light of the season despite the human experience.
I have witnessed those children whom Santa finds in the hospital because they are too sick to leave the sterile walls around them.  Even those children having Christmas surrounded by medicine, needles and tests will look at their doctors and nurses and wish them Merry Christmas with excitement and love coming from their faces.  They will bring to consciousness the true meaning of Christmas and bring those taking care of them back to the reality of God's greatest gift.
I am blessed by my three children.  They are healthy, beautiful and happy.  Today I am knocked to my knees by how wonderful God has been to me.  I will not dwell on what I think that I need or really just want.  More cooperation, following my directions, listening to what I have to say.  Maybe I need to be quiet and reflective and listen more to them and what God is trying to convey to me through their little voices.  There are parents celebrating Christmas today without their children.  Some are in heaven, others at war, and many who are just not able to make it home for Christmas.  I look into they eyes of my children, hold their warm little bodies in a big hug and I am so thankful. 
I have been given the gift of my husband, who is a constant provider of strength and support.  I love his boyish charm and my heart grows each time I watch him playing on the floor with our children.  God has given me a good Daddy for my babies.  He celebrates their small triumphs and is there to kiss the boo boos.  He is not afraid to employ tough love, like a good father does.  I can fall into his embrace and feel protected and assured.  He brings me back to reality, that blessings are flowing through our life together and I should not miss this. 
I am no longer bound by my inability to break myself out of my rut, I never had the power within myself anyway.  This Christmas morning I opened the door to the knocking of the truth on my heart.  I need the love of God, to fall into His arms to trust in Him.  God gave us his son.  I cannot fathom the sacrifice the unbelievable gift he gave to us.  So today I celebrate the birth of my Saviour.  We will sing Happy Birthday to Jesus and eat, drink and be merry in his honor today.  I no longer will feel sorry for myself, for I have nothing to be sad about.  God loves me, he loves us all in ways we cannot understand. To have love is the greatest gift of all!
So as I organize the gifts and clean up the wrapping paper and boxes, I will take a moment to be quiet.  I will not breeze by the Nativity, but stop and reflect on the meaning of the depiction of Jesus' birth.  I will say a quiet prayer for all those who are suffering and thank God that I am in the midst of joyful chaos today.  I will continue to look for God in my everyday life and pray for miracles, for he delivers even to those of us who are most undeserving.  My three miracles are studying their gifts, eating candy canes, racing cars and begging for more food.  Merry Christmas!

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;

Praise Him, all creatures here below;

Praise Him above, ye Heavenly Host;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

                                            The Doxology